


Trek into Tartarus

by ammNI



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Captain Swan - Freeform, Death, F/M, Greek Gods and Goddesses - Freeform, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Grief, Magic, Major character death - Freeform, Outlaw Queen - Freeform, Rumbelle - Freeform, Snowing - Freeform, Underworld/Tartarus, death of character is from beginning of fic, post 5x10 AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2016-04-21
Packaged: 2018-05-07 12:36:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 37,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5456744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ammNI/pseuds/ammNI
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set directly after 5x10. Killian had a plan. A plan that means Emma thinks she's lost him forever. Misery hangs over Storybrooke, broken by the sudden arrival of a stranger who assures them there is a way to get Killian back. All it involves is a simple trek into Tartarus and back. Captain Swan, Outlaw Queen, Snowing, Rumbelle. Rating may go up later.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

**Part 1**

On one of the many realms of the world, a place where there should have been no magic, a young woman lies prostrate over the dead body of her love. Her screams and cries for them to bring him back, for it not to be real, for it to all be a really bad nightmare she'll wake up from soon, all of that has died down. Her throat is scratchy and her nose feels blocked. She can't feel her legs numb as they are from the position she threw herself down in when Killian fell to the ground. Her arms are wrapped round his chest, one hand lightly caressing the scruff of his beard; her eyes never leave his peaceful-looking slacken face as it rests on her lap. He is motionless. He is empty. He is gone.

These last three words break Emma as her sobs start up again. Her face is awash with tears. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. She had tied him to Excalibur so that she wouldn't lose him to death like she had Neal, and Graham. Emma cries for her lost love, cries for the future they had only had a few moments together to look forward to. She cries for losing her faith in him back in Camelot when all this time he's the one that has believed in her the most. His faith in her never wavered. She hurt him and he for once hit back with callous words that cut deeper than anything she'd ever felt before. And with that emotional pain from him calling her an orphan and tearing their love apart, she set them on this course. She put her trust in her family over having faith that her Killian was still inside.

"Emma we should take his body away from here," Mary Margaret tells her in a hushed voice. "Prepare for the...funeral," the black-haired princess' voice breaks on that last word as it causes more tears to flow down her daughter's distraught face.

It's only Emma, David and Mary Margaret left by the lake. Regina and Robin had taken Henry away earlier. The teenager, who had lost yet another father figure, had helped Belle to pull Gold to his feet and drag him away from the pain-filled scene. Rumplestiltskin had flinched every time a broken scream had wrenched it's way out of Emma; the sound seemingly following them on their way back to town.

"He's gone," croaks Emma, shutting her eyes and dropping her head to rest on Killian's still chest.

David crouches down and gently pulls his daughter away from the pirate. He tenderly wraps his arms around Emma and rocks her as his own tears fall. Tears of sorrow for his daughter's loss. Tears of regret for not believing in the man he'd come to see as a friend and who he'd finally accepted as being good enough for Emma. Tears of turmoil also roll down his cheeks as he clutches his daughter to him and Mary Margaret joins their embrace. Without Killian's brave sacrifice and his pantomime act the darkness of the Dark Ones would have wreaked havoc on this land.

Killian, once again, had pushed past the need for revenge that had driven him for centuries to stop them from sending souls into hell in order to force open the gates of the Underworld and a chasm of untold power. He had managed to convince them all, even the Dark Ones clamouring inside of him, that that had been his true plan. Even when he'd thrown the glass vial at Emma and the tendrils of darkness had fled her into him they still hadn't given him any trust that he would do the right thing. It wasn't until after he'd goaded Gold into stabbing him with the enchanted sword, and had not moved to avoid the attack, that there was a flicker of uncertainty amongst the group.

Emma had been the first to come to the realisation that the darkness didn't have full control over Killian. David flinches as he recalls holding her back from the pirate and how he, along with Snow and the others, had continued preparing for the worst to happen. Instead the Dark Ones had begun to shriek as Killian held the sword against him. The water in the lake had changed into a carnivorous black hole that sucked and dragged in all the Dark Ones and their darkness. Emma screamed for Killian as the tendrils had been ripped from his body, the agony plain for all to see. Rumplestiltskin had looked on in awe at the Captain's sacrifice especially when he told his enemy "Thank you" before shouting to Emma with his last breath, "I'm sorry. I love you."

"Easy Emma. Shh sweetheart, we've got you," murmurs Snow, bringing David back from the painful recollection; their daughter encased in their arms, shuddering and still whispering in her broken voice, "He's gone."

* * *

"What the bloody hell am I doing here anyroads?" glares the pirate as he continues to pace around the cavernous space, as he has done for the last who knows how long frowning over the homey environment that is at odds with the cave-like structure surrounding them and the rivers of molten lava cutting through the stone floor.

"You're here to drink tea and have some iced buns. So sit that prettily leather-clad bottom down on one of my seats and just QUIT BEING SO FREAKING AGITATED! Is it really that much of a thing to ask for?!"

One of Killian's black bushy brows rises as he holds out his hand in a placating gesture and makes his way to the nearest puffy armchair, his blue gaze unwaveringly held on the flamboyant (and somewhat fiercely terrifying) Lord of the Underworld who watches the pirate with his creepy eyes; the whites of his eyes are black whilst the irises are white that almost seem to spin as you look at them. Killian eases himself down into the seat and attempts to relax but his thoughts are flying through his head too fast. He knows that he shouldn't be there; sitting drinking tea with Hades, the Tormentor of Souls. Killian knows that if his plan had worked he should be nothing right now. He frets and worries his hook against the brocade fabric of the seat he's sitting in.

Hades looks relaxed as he sups on cups of tea (his pinky finger all raised out and up correctly like a proper little posh lord) and munches on a whole mixture of cakes and buns piled atop the large blue blown glass coffee table. But then a sound echoes around the silent living room; the sound of fabric splitting apart as a hook rends through the richly woven material. All Killian sees is a sudden flare of flames enveloping the Greek God (appearing to have burst out of him from the pale glow that surrounds his swarthy skin) and his ears continue to ring for several minutes after Hades' profane and incredibly loud shout of pure annoyance.

"Now look what you've done," growls the brunette, running his hands through his short curls as he gets to his feet to see to the cries of the child that have started up.

Killian looks after him, frozen to the ruined chair. He watches on as Hades enters a different room with a crib and gently lifts out a toddler. The image before him is at complete odds over all the rumours he's heard regarding the terrifying ruler of the Underworld and keeper of souls. The god speaks softly to his child and tenderly brushes away her tears. He hums and gently bounces the little curly blonde haired girl until her tears stop and her eyes become heavy once more. Killian stares in amazement, unable to look away from the beautiful sight of father and daughter, as the little girl's eyes droop and her whole body slackens. A few minutes later Hades carefully puts her back into the cot and presses a kiss to her forehead. When he exits the room he leaves the door ajar just in case she should need him again.

"Why I ever think to do a favour for anyone I do not know," Hades mutters once he's somewhat calm again, all the while glaring from his daughter's room to Killian and the hole he's ripped into the seat. "I **will** answer your questions, lad. But rest assured once that burden is lifted from my shoulders I no longer claim you as my responsibility. You are **not** my guest, but you are free to wander as you wish. Just don't do anything stupid like falling into the pit or entering Tartarus. No matter what I feel I owe I will not be pulling you back here so that you can be collected. Now be a good little handsome pirate and take a seat on something wooden; I don't care much if you damage those items. And don't make me lose my temper again or wake my Meli up."

"Whilst you're right about the handsome part mate, I can assure _nothing_ about me is 'little'," the dark haired man tells the god with a flash of a grin.

"Oh gods, you're on par with _her_ , or perhaps worse," groans Hades in horror of the idea of someone being worse with innuendoes than his niece. "Try to set all those cutesy innuendoes to the side and get on with your questions."

* * *

Three thousand five hundred and thirty-six miles away from the seemingly quiet and idyllic town of Storybrooke, Maine a young woman with cropped bright purple hair - that has lime green streaks running through it - dances provocatively up against a man she'd just met at the bar. She turns to press her back against his front, shimmying her hips against his. Grinning when she feels him pull her closer and the effect she's having on his lower region. But her smile falls when the ink on her left wrist begins to burn. Her hazel eyes shoot around the club until they fall on the strikingly beautiful golden haired woman propping herself up against the bar, unseen by the rest of the club. The woman's rose hue lips curve into a slight smile of acknowledgement as the dancing woman's eyes catch hers.

"Apologies, perhaps another time," the purple-haired woman tells her dancing partner before heading towards her long-time friend.

"Tease," spits back the man in a huff.

His dancing partner comes to a halt, uncaring of the drunken couples dancing and gyrating around her. Anyone that looks at her and sees her hazel eyes shimmer and shine until they look like stars passes the change off as being due to the lighting and the alcohol. The woman continues on with a grin once she hears the masculine voice scream out in pain behind her. She nudges into a space beside her friend and sighs at the look in her blue eyes before turning to the bartender and calling for six shots of vodka in Swedish.

"Seph," the hazel-eyed woman greets before throwing down one of the shots.

"It's been a while since I traversed this realm. And this is definitely not Sicily or Athens," murmurs her friend; her gaze passing over all the people, the lights, the atmosphere and the music. "But in other ways it's very alike."

"Humans are humans wherever and whenever we go," her friend replies, knocking back the third shot. "I pinned a map to a dartboard and let the dart be the divining rod for where I should next go. And here I am. Why are **you** here? If you're caught fraternising with me…" she trails off, managing to not flinch as she considers the consequence and punishment Seph would face for such a flagrant disobedience of the 'rules'.

"You know my husband would never let them do anything to me," Seph tells her with a secret smile painted on her lips. "You're my friend, Thé. Even though you've changed," she says, her eyes flicking to her friend's hair.

"Don't like it?" she grins, fingering the shorn locks. "Once I was out of Olympus I needed a change. And regarding your husband protecting you, if it's Artemis' turn perusing the realms and she sees this little interaction you could end up with one of her arrows through you before you can even call up Hades. On more pleasant ground, how's my devilish cousin Melinoe?"

"Meli is good. She's started walking and chattering up a storm," smiles Seph reminiscently before returning to business. "I'm here because Hades asked me to come. Even if your sister was to see us Hades' pendant prevents her from being able to harm me."

"Please don't call her that," complains Thé as she finishes her last shot. "Why are you playing messenger for Hades? Surely he could have sent one of his ghouls."

"I do wish you wouldn't call the Guardians of the Souls that," sighs Seph with a roll of her eyes."I'm here because Hades felt the death of a Marked on this realm so he came and collected the soul. Seems he'd carried out a ritual of immortal death."

"His soul would have been sucked in then. Why are you coming to me?"

"Because the soul is one Captain Killian Jones," Seph tells her, her eyes filled with sorrow for the news she's imparting on her friend. "He eradicated the darkness of the Dark One."

"Where is he now?" asks Thé.

"Because of his sacrifice Hades is holding him in our place. For now," she replies meaningfully.

"I'll come get him."

Seph's eyes widen at the implication of her friend's words. For decades, almost centuries, she's avoided all the gods and goddesses of Olympus as decreed by her banishment. To go to the very heart of the Underworld and return a soul to its body will just call attention back to Thé.

"Persephone, it'll be fine. Now where's his body?"

"Here, I snuck it out. Be safe. And wise," her friend tells her, handing over a cloth bag before disappearing.

"Can I get you anything else?" the bartender asks, his eyes not having even seen the buxom blonde in the black and gold peplum - one of the many tricks of being the Queen of the Underworld (that and her conversation with Thé being unable to be overheard by anyone).

"That's me for tonight," she replies with a smile, her attention already turning to the milky crystal she pulls from the bag. "By all the gods," mutters Thé in disbelief as she caresses the soul memory.

Very few know of the magical object that grows in the walls of Tartarus. It allows Hades, and Seph, to copy the memory of any soul in the Underworld into what would seem like an assortment of flickering images and videos. To any unused to the item the memories would pass over the crystal at random. As her trusted friend, and one of Hades' favoured nieces, Thé knows about the soul crystals and so can access the memories contained within in it's proper chronological order. She carefully places the memory back into the cloth bag and slowly makes her way out of the club. Pulling on the thick scarlet red winter coat she huddles into the warmth of the fabric as she clambers through the eight inches of snow stacked on the footpaths to make her way home. Thé allows her gaze to wander over the silence of the cold March night to prevent her thoughts from wandering to all that Seph spoke to her about.

Stockholm at night is a beautiful place. She's been to countless beautiful places in countless realms, but something about the stillness of a quiet narrow Swedish street with the sky inky and all consuming high above, and the amber lights warming the chilly air fills her with a true sense of safety and freedom. The crunch of the snow beneath her knee-high heels brings a smile of childish delight to her pink lips. She never had much of a childhood and never had that sense of pure and utter enjoyment over a simple little thing like snow the way so many human children do. The few people she passes in the street are also huddled up against the cold front still encasing the Scandinavian city, silently trudging through the snow on their way to their separate destinations unaware of the young woman in their midst who had once watched them and sighed enviously over the lives. They simply see another one of them, rushing to get out of the biting cold but enjoying the peaceful frozen stillness of it all at the same time.

Upon reaching her apartment block she pauses and glances down at the ancient tattoo on her wrist. The black lines have once again faded and are returning to a pale blue. She is safe. Seph is safe. She pulls the sleeve of her coat back over the magical symbol and enters the building and her ground floor flat. The golden shield in the doorway slipping easily over her. She throws off her clothes and changes into jogging bottoms and a long sleeve jersey top. Her place is always nice and balmy but she needs the comfort clothes - and the comfort food she thinks as she reaches into her freezer for the vanilla and Belgian chocolate ice-cream.

"Enough stalling," she mutters to herself as she sits cross-legged on the leather sofa eating ice-cream and staring at the cloth bag sitting on her ebony coffee table.

Thé grabs the dagger she keeps on herself at all times and makes a thin long cut across the palm of her right hand before dropping the crystal into the blood pooling. The milky crystal blazes with a bright white light, burning into the wound of her hand and then it changes form. The whiteness of the gem dissipates and it becomes almost as clear as glass. With a sigh she gently cradles it in her hands, ignoring the pain that comes from the wound she made that has been seared closed. Images begin to play across the surface of the crystal from within it. Sometimes sound joins the images other times they're simply snapshots of Killian's life in descending order. Thé flinches when the memories play the long enchanted blade piercing his chest. She cries when she discovers the man he has become in the years since she last saw him. She sets the stone aside and weeps at the knowledge that he had found love again and that Emma Swan was now in Storybrooke alone and without that love.

It takes Thé a few minutes to calm down. She does not pick up the stone again but instead turns on her laptop and finds herself a flight to Boston. She glances at the window when she hears the rustling outside and smiles as she lets in the large snowy owl into her flat. The owl perches on her breakfast bar and gives a soft hoot before continuing to feed on his late night meal. Thé leaves the bird to his food and moves around gathering clothes and items she needs to pack for the flight leaving in several hours. She performs some simple magic to create a passport and visa as well as upon the weapons she may need so that her feathered friend can easily transport them for her.

It's as she's pulling out the leather money bag that she freezes where she stands and the realisation of what she'll be undertaking and asking Emma, and possibly her family, to do crashes down around her. But a single glance at the now clear crystal, deceptively sitting on her coffee table as if it is nothing but a pretty rough cut gem, forces the worry and fear to flee. She owes Killian. She Marked him for this very reason. She **will** bring him back, no matter the consequences.


	2. Part 2

**Part 2**

The motorbike comes to a halt in the middle of the long stretch of road, its driver kicking out the sidestand and leaning back in the seat to observe what lies ahead through the dark visor of her black helmet. A soft hooting from above has her flipping the visor up and reaching out to the snowy owl, providing her arm as a perch. Thé strokes the owl with the back of her gloved hand before unstrapping the lightened load of weapons and reflexively attaching them to herself and the bike beneath her.

"Can you see it too?" she croons to the bird turning her attention on what brought her to a halt. "I almost didn't even catch it until I felt the repelling need to turn away. But there it is all shiny and glittery gold. It's a powerful cloaking spell," she frowns, her hazel eyes slightly twinkling silver as they skim over the shield surrounding the town ahead, the red line spray painted across the tarmac of the road and the wooden 'Welcome to Storybrooke' sign. "I'm not chancing you being able to get through it. You stay on my shoulder and don't let go, okay?" she tells the bird before taking a deep breath, shutting her visor, kicking the sidestand back into place and calmly driving straight through the barrier that would repel any mortal's mind. "You go hunt," she shouts to the owl over the rumbling roar of the turbo engine thrumming between her thighs. "There's someone here I need to speak with first before I get to Killian."

The owl remains perched on Thé's shoulder, cocking his head at the dark tone his friend is speaking in. But the sound of the other owls as they drive alongside the edge of the forest takes his attention and with only a momentary bite from his claws gripping her shoulder to launch himself, he flies off into the cloudy afternoon sky.

Thé keeps an eye on her animal friend for a few moments but then she remembers the power of the cloaking spell and her hazel eyes begin to glisten and glow. There's only one man in town she knows that could do such a spell and he's the same one that took Killian's life. She spared Rumplestiltskin once before, but not this time.

* * *

David's attention on his daughter's blank stare is pulled away by the bell tinkling over the door. Robin, carrying his pink-swaddled daughter and followed by several Merry Men and Roland, storms into Granny's looking around frantically. Upon spotting the Charmings and Regina sitting stoically in one of the booths he rushes straight towards them. Mary Margaret's gaze flickers between Robin and Emma, who still remains frozen staring down at the untouched meal in front of her. Her green eyes barely blink at the arrival of the outlaw. She shows no reaction of even realising he's there, not even when Regina loudly sighs in complaint.

"What now?"

"The birds are acting strangely," Robin tells the group, his expression pained because he knows that they need time to grieve and not have to concern themselves with yet another crisis.

"What do you mean they're acting strangely?" queries David, frowning up at the blonde man before flickering a glance at Emma to see she still hasn't reacted.

"The owls are flitting about. Something's up. I hate to come and bring this to you or ask for your assistance at this time, but something is wrong."

"Kil," Emma's voice breaks and a tear escapes down her cheek as she glares at the shiny tabletop, "Killian hasn't even been...he hasn't...it has only been a day. Not even. And you want me to get right back to work," she grits out, turning her watery glare to Robin.

"Mom," murmurs Henry, reaching out to try to comfort Emma in some way.

"No! I can't do it. I won't do it!" she screams. "It's just some birds acting differently. You don't need me. You all need to just stop relying on me because I can't do any of it," Emma cries before trying to get to her feet and leave, but she's in the seat against the wall with Henry and Regina in the way of her exit.

At that moment the bell rings once more, the door heaved open by Grumpy and Happy. The two of them take a moment to pant for breath. Once Leroy has enough air in his lungs again he starts shouting, quickly gaining the attention of all the quiet and stoic patrons of the diner.

"There's someone new in town. She just came flying up the road on a motorbike and nearly ran us down. When we shouted after her she threw on the brakes swung her head around and lifted the visor of her helmet. Her eyes were freaking twinkling, like stars!" he exclaims. "I don't know what kind of weird she is but it's not good. Sister, you gotta do something," he tells Snow, his hazel eyes ever so slightly sliding to look to Emma and then looking away.

"There has to be something wrong with the cloaking spell," worries Happy. "How else could she have gotten in?"

"Perhaps it was someone who has been here all along, we've just never met her," suggests Mary Margaret optimistically.

"No such...achoo...luck," replies Sneezy as he too comes into the diner with Sleepy following close behind, his eyes frantic and fearful. "I was just at the town...town...line. There's...achoo...skid marks from a...a...a...motor...achoo...a motorbike."

"The tracks go from beyond the red line leading into the town," Walter adds. "She's definitely a stranger. What do we do? If the cloaking spell isn't working then just about anybody could come in and then what?"

Sleepy's words immediately causes panic to become rife in the small diner. Everyone begins talking over each other. Arguments ensue on what the next course of action is. Snow and Charming try to calm the crowd. Regina wraps an arm around Henry and reaches out to caress Robin's arm. Her eyes dart from her son, to her love, to his son and beautiful baby girl. Movement beside Henry causes Regina to drag her eyes away and look at Emma who has dropped back into her seat. Regina frowns, pained by the look on Emma's face as the young woman clutches at her blonde hair and rocks gently back and forth. The queen watches on as the saviour tries to pull herself together and push back the tears and pain that just wants to swallow her. Regina releases her hold on Henry to reach out to his other mother, trying to give her any comfort she can. Emma freezes under Regina's touch before her eyes meet the dark brown ones watching her with concern and understanding. She sighs when she sees no pity in the other woman's gaze and with a minute nod she pushes herself to her feet, letting loose a loud piercing whistle to gain everyone's attention.

" **None** of you panic," Emma tells the crowd staring at her, her voice hoarse from the crying and disuse. "This doesn't mean the spell surrounding the town is down. Leroy you said she looked weird. Perhaps she's able to see past such a spell. Whatever is going on we will find a way through it. But you cannot panic."

"What do we do then?" asks Happy.

"Gold," says Regina succinctly, mouthing _Sorry_ to Emma when the blonde flinches at the reminder the name brings. "He should know if the cloaking spell is down or how someone got past it."

"Alright. Mary Margaret, Regina, Robin and I will go see Gold and see what information we can get from him. The rest of you just try to stay calm but remain vigilant. Alert us to any new information," commands David in a reassuring voice.

"I'm coming too," Emma tells her parents once the rest of the diner's occupants return to trying to eat and calm.

"Emma," sighs Mary Margaret, staring at her daughter and wishing that she could take away all of her pain.

"Nothing is going to make me feel better. Let's get this issue put to bed and then we can...grieve," Emma trips over the last word, clenching her hands into fists so as to hold back the tears.

"If you're sure," murmurs David before turning to his wife. "I'd prefer it if you were armed. Just in case," he whispers so that only their immediate circle can hear.

"You may borrow one of my men's bows if you wish, my lady," offers Robin courteously.

* * *

"Miss Swan," stutters Rumplestiltskin, his eyes remaining on the young woman and uncaring of the others that entered his shop with her.

"There's a stranger in town," David tells him, getting straight to the point.

"That's impossible. The cloaking spell would repel anyone who came close."

"Well it didn't work. And now there's some strange woman driving into our town on a motorbike with apparently 'weird twinkling eyes'," Regina fumes, rolling her eyes at the description the dwarves had given.

Gold frowns at the description. "It's not much to go on. Miss Swan, I'd like to apologise again. I didn't-"

"Save your breath Gold. I neither want nor need your apologies," snaps Emma.

"Emma!" chides Snow.

"The owls are also acting strangely," pipes up Robin, defusing the situation that feels ready to erupt. "They're hunting and soaring around."

"You think it's related?" asks Regina.

"Well owls are notoriously nocturnal animals, especially when it comes to hunting. It feels like it's too coincidental for it not to be connected."

"The outlaw has the right of it," sighs Rumplestiltskin, his hands trembling on the glass counter and his skin turning pale.

"You know who she is," comments Regina, her eyes flaring at the obvious fear emanating from the once mighty warlock.

"I do believe so. But it won't do well for us to meet. Especially under these circumstances…" Rumplestiltskin drifts off, his eyes widening in realisation. "That's why she's here."

"Why? And who is she?" asks David.

Before Gold can answer him the wooden door to the shop flies open with such force it almost hits the wall and the window panes in the door shatter. Dressed in skinny dark red jeans, six inch heels, a sheer black top and biker jacket, Thé stands silhouetted in the open doorway. Her lips, painted the same crimson as her heels and jeans, sneer at the greying man stood frozen behind his counter. She takes one step closer causing David to draw his gun, Snow and Robin to raise their bows primed each with an arrow, and Regina to stand in a stance ready to call a fireball to life. Emma remains still, only her eyes moving to gaze from the pawnbroker to the purple and green haired stranger who has yet to remove her own eyes from Gold's.

"Not another step," warns Snow.

Thé flickers a glance over them all and smirks. With a roll of her eyes at the display of force and weaponry she twists her hand. Only Emma notices at first as a portal appears behind Gold. Her eyes widen in disbelief but then she notices it isn't sucking Rumplestiltskin inside it. The purple portal continues to swirl until a flash of lightning lights up inside of it and a speck of white can be seen growing larger and larger. The others also turn their attention to the portal, though continue to also keep a careful watch on Thé. Suddenly a tawny owl stretches her wings and flies calmly out of the portal before scratching and biting at Gold. The man makes attempts to bat off the animal but it darts away too swiftly for him to stop it fighting and hurting him.

"Enough!" shouts Emma. "Call it off," she glares at the newcomer.

Thé stares at Emma for a second, observing her before making a low pitched whistle. The owl swoops away from Gold and outside using the open exit behind Thé. The tall woman grins at the mess of cuts now on his face and hands, as well as the tears in his expensive-looking suit. His fear suddenly soars as the group hear the quick paced sound of heels on pavement racing towards the shop just before Belle appears behind Thé.

"Rumple?" she calls out, worry and fear clear in her voice.

"Please, don't hurt her," he begs.

Thé raises an eyebrow at his plea and turns to smirk at Belle, "Perhaps hurting you how you really deserve to be hurt will be much easier than I thought after all."

"Not another step," cautions David, echoing his wife's earlier warning.

"Or what? You going to shoot me?" pouts Thé before laughing. "Alright how about we get the boring stuff out of the way first? Shoot me dearies. Go ahead," she smirks. "You know you want to. Come on, shoot me. If you don't shoot me I'll hurt this lovely little mortal behind me. And you know I will, don't you Crocodile?"

Emma recoils at what Killian had dubbed as Gold's nickname. But the threat against Belle makes David aim his gun at her leg as the stranger slowly swivels to reach out to Belle. Emma and Regina watch on as Snow and Robin also aim their bows at the woman.

"Please, she **will** hurt and kill Belle," Rumplestiltskin tells them just as Thé touches Belle and the pretty copper-haired woman cries out and drops to her knees in pain from the single touch.

David squeezes the trigger of his gun but nothing happens. Again and again he tries but the gun appears to be jammed. Snow and Robin release their arrows but instead of finding their mark in the woman's arm and leg both arrows suddenly lose speed and trajectory, dropping out of the air not long after they're loosed. The clatter of the wooden weapons resounds through the shop as Thé releases Belle.

"Now that you can see I can't be touched, let alone harmed, by your weapons why don't we get down to business."

"We haven't tried everything," remarks Regina before sending a fireball at her.

Thé throws up one hand and a thin golden shimmering barrier appears between her and the oncoming fireball. Belle squeaks and throws her arms over her head, peeking through her hair to see the fire fizzle out upon contact.

"That was quite dangerous Regina. You could have hurt Belle, or my shop," complains Rumplestiltskin. "Belle, are you alright?" he asks, moving from behind the counter and closer to Thé causing the woman to frown in confusion.

"They got the twinkling right," mumbles Emma as Thé's eyes turn and the young woman gasps in shock as she looks from Gold to Belle and back again.

"You actually truly fell in love," comments Thé in total disbelief, shutting her eyes in pain at the sight before opening them to glare at Rumplestiltskin. "You do not deserve this."

Without explanation she reaches down to Belle. Regina readies herself to throw another fireball should Belle cry out in pain again. But the group is shocked when Belle looks down at her chest and then up at Gold, tears pooling in her eyes.

"What is this?" she asks, turning to the woman touching her forearm.

"Your love line. Pulsating white that gives off a prism of colour. The purest and truest kind of love you can have," she replies stiffly before releasing the librarian and pulling her to her feet. "I'm sorry for hurting you. I wanted to hurt him."

"'Wanted'," quotes Rumplestiltskin, his gaze flickering between Belle and Thé.

"Don't think I don't still want to hurt you Crocodile, because I saw what you did to him. All I want to do right now is stab you. So do not test me Imp!" she growls in reply.

"Who are you and why are you in Storybrooke?" asks David.

"And why are you calling Gold by...Killian's nickname for him?" adds Emma, her voice slightly trembling.

Thé smiles sadly at Emma and gives a courtly bow to the group, "I am Thé, short for Athena. I knew Killian a very long time ago."

" _Athena_ , the Greek goddess?" snorts Regina disbelievingly.

"Technically. I got kicked out of Olympus long ago. As to the why I'm here," from her pocket she pulls out one of the coins from her money bag and tosses it to Emma. "I'm going to get the soul of a certain dashing Captain back from the Underworld. I trust you do still have his body?"


	3. Part 3

**Part 3**

"So how is it that you know Hook?" asks David suspiciously. "And exactly how well do you know him?"

"David!" Mary Margaret tells him off.

"I don't see how that's any of your business Prince David," replies Thé frostily as she throws herself down on one of Regina's sofas. "This is much better than that poky shop of yours Rumplestiltskin."

"It's my business because _Emma_ is my daughter," David tells her.

"You're protective of your daughter's heart, especially because of how much it's been broken. But we didn't move from the pawnbrokers to Regina's lovely home to discuss me and Killian."

"So there was a you and Killian?" adds Mary Margaret in a quiet confiding tone.

Regina rolls her eyes. "Can we get on with this already?"

"I'd have to say I'm in agreement with Regina on this one. Can you or can you not bring Killian back?" asks Belle, tentatively glancing to Emma who has remained standing near the doorway silent as a statue.

"I have known Killian for centuries. Same with him," she gestures to Gold. "I knew Killian before the Crocodile became a source of revenge for the pirate. Anything else is none of your business. As to what I said about being able to bring him back: yes I can."

"Should be a piece of cake," comments Regina sarcastically. "We'll just pop down to the Underworld, have a cosy little chat and a cup of tea with Hades; Harbinger of Doom, Torturer of Souls and Lord of the Underworld. And then out of the goodness of his heart he'll let pirate boy's soul go and let us all just walk away and come back home."

"It could be done," says Gold, stunning everyone into silence.

"According to my research we need to summon the ferryman and pay him with these," states Belle. "Charon's obol is what they call the offering made to the ferryman so that the dead may pass."

"Gorgeous and smart. You lucked out Crocodile."

"Would you kindly stop referring me by that name? I am no longer that man."

"Right because you've been _reborn_. No I'm not going to fight with you," breathes Athena, forcing back her anger and hatred for the man. "They're a currency within the Underworld: Charon's obols. With them we can get to the Underworld and bring Killian back."

"Has anyone ever actually succeeded with this?" Mary Margaret hesitantly asks, trying not to look at her daughter and trying her hardest not to glare at Thé for giving her something to hope for that might not ever come to pass.

"A few. Ones the Fates agree weren't meant to have had their lifelines cut. Others with the involvement of one of my kind."

"So we summon Charon then. I think I've read a book or two on that. I know there's one in Rumple's shop for definite."

"Unfortunately Belle I'm shunned from Mount Olympus. If he was to interact with me or take me on this journey he could very easily be cast out of Olympus and a new ferryman would be appointed. He was once a sort of friend to me. I won't cause him undue trouble."

"So how exactly do you plan on us getting there? Hitching a ride on a Pegasus?" retorts Emma.

"Pegai are not the most easiest of animals to wrangle. And quite frankly doing that journey on the back of a flying horse is definitely one of the most uncomfortable forms of transportation into Tartarus."

"Pegasus is real…"

Thé's eyes widen ever so slightly before she jumps to her feet and grabs Emma's arm to drag her into the dining room, sending a warning glance to the others attempting to come with them to stay put. She shuts the door and places a charm around it to prevent anyone outside of the room from being able to hear the conversation going on inside. Emma looks confused by Athena's behaviour and remains confused by Thé's next words.

"They're what I bartered with Killian in return for his helping rescue me from the prison my family entombed me in, and helping me try to protect my half-sister from them. Pegasus feathers are worth quite a lot. And of course there was the emotional worth for him as well as they reminded him of Liam."

"Killian talked to you about Liam?" Emma quietly asks, trying to bury the hurt and jealousy rushing up inside of her at Thé's words.

"Oh honey I know that look. I've seen it way too many times in my lovely father's wife's eyes. Killian and me, _really_ not like that. Trust me. As to the Liam thing, yeah he talked to me about him. It was easy considering I kind of knew him. How in all the gods' names do you think mortals got a sail made from Pegasus feathers? Ares wanted to impress Aphro by trying to liven up the realms. All the gods and goddesses got in on it and started betting on how it would all end. War could have broken out across many lands and crossing into different realms but for the Jones boys," smiles Thé reminiscently. "The cost was...the others didn't understand why I was affected by Liam's death. Just one of many for a god to see. But it was too much for me so I ran away and fled from Olympus and tried to live a mortal life."

Emma frowns as Thé gazes into space, her lips turned down and a look of agonising sorrow filling her eyes. She knows pain. She feels the pain of Killian's death. She knows that look on Athena's face that means hope and optimism are two words that just don't come immediately to mind when bad things happen. Emma can't feel those two things, even when a goddess is telling her she's going to bring Killian back to her. And that's just more pain which pushes hope further into the pit inside of her until she fears she'll never reach it. Emma suddenly gasps, her breathing shallow and raspy.

"Easy Emma, easy. It's okay, it's all going to be okay," whispers Thé calmly, forcing Emma to look her in the eyes and focus on the ex-goddess. "I know you don't know me and so you can't put your trust in me. But I swear to you that I will use all of my power to get Killian back to you. Until then perhaps this can help."

Emma takes the crystal shard Athena hands her, almost dropping it when a light flares within it and pictures and videos begin to flicker under the surface of the gem. She watches on in amazement as she looks through snapshots and clips of Killian's life in the last several months. Minutes pass before she can tear her teary-eyed gaze from the images and silently question Thé about the gift she's holding in her hand.

"Hades and Seph will kill me if I fully explain it, and I quite like being alive right now. It's his memories."

"So he doesn't have them right now?" worries Emma.

"He does. This is just a copy. Basically like a memory stick," she jokes to which Emma laughs through the tears that continue to fall. "Hey I see that look. And I've seen it too many times before. Yes you did a shitty thing, he said some shitty things to you too. And yes I did see all that. I didn't go too far back and I skipped past any x-rated stuff that I _really_ don't need nor want to know about Captain Killian Jones. But what I did see and hear I can tell you this for definite: he loves you and you love him. Yes it'll take work to get over all this, but you two together can make this work."

"Thank you," sniffs Emma, laughing as she watches their first kiss way back in Neverland and she can't believe the smouldering look he was giving her or the feigning slight innocence as he rubbed behind his ear and trailed his finger to tap against his lips before giving her that damned 'come hither' look of his, along with the flirtatiousness and the cocky swagger which was far too attractive; it was no wonder she'd just grabbed him and kissed the hell out of him. _God that kiss was steamy...and hot...just like all their kisses. Though later the kisses came to mean something more. But that first kiss sits as a heavy reminder of how much more time she could have had with him if she'd only let him in sooner._

"You have it bad," laughs Thé. "Seriously though, I'm glad he's found you and you found him. Now we should really get back in there otherwise your parents might think I've killed you or something."

"Really?" remarks Emma dubiously.

"Oh come on, haven't you seen the looks Snow White and Prince Charming have been throwing at me? Yes they want your pirate back for you but they aren't willing to jump in feet first and trust me. And I am not asking for that, but I did the whole weapons thing earlier so that they would put it out of their heads to attempt anything against me."

"I'll talk to them. They're just worried you're building my hopes up."

"You aren't letting yourself fully give into the idea of it. You are starting to hope that all I've said can happen but you aren't throwing yourself into this. Which is why I like you Emma Swan."

Emma takes another moment to watch the memories flicker in the crystal before putting it away and following Athena back into the living room.

"Finally ready to break the suspense on how you plan to get us to Tartarus?" snarks Regina, her arms crossed in annoyance at how long their little private talk went on for.

"Davy Jones," Thé tells them through gritted teeth. "The only other viable option is to summon The Dutchman."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" questions Snow.

"It could just work. Provided The Flying Dutchman's Captain and crew will take our voyage on," smiles Regina.

"That's what I brought the coins for. But there's only enough for ten going and eleven coming back. Two coins per person each way."

"Summoning The Dutchman it is then," swallows Rumplestiltskin. "Not a pleasant scheme, but it could just work."

"Is he truly _that_ terrifying?" asks Belle hesitantly.

"He's a real bastard," smiles Thé humorlessly.

* * *

Killian jumps alert and it takes a few moments for him to recognise his surroundings. He dry washes his face with his one hand, trying to push back the painful memories that had risen to the surface as he rested on Hades' couch. He has no clue how much time has passed; the Underworld doesn't have much in terms of time. Everything is just frozen and numb. Walking around the house and outside of it didn't do much good. Left with too much alone time to think was hurting because all he could think about was Emma's lack of faith and belief in him that he could defeat the Darkness. Killian can't help but glance down at his chest, still feeling the phantom pain of the blade penetrating his sternum. He was used to phantom pains. In Neverland he'd barely been able to sleep at first because of the physical pain in his stump and then the pain of getting fully used to the brace, but it was nothing in comparison to the pain he'd experienced on the days and nights when it had felt like he hadn't lost his hand and that it was hurting, still right there where it had always been all his life.

"Purty," giggles a child's voice, pulling Killian from his morbid thoughts.

His eyebrows raise as he turns to see the little escape artist in the living room. It was the third time since Persephone ("Call me Seph seeing as you're an old friend of Thé's") had returned to her home that her two year old had managed to climb over the bars of her crib and made a break for it.

"Have you escaped the brig yet again Miss Melinoe?" smiles Killian as he reaches out to gently snag her pyjamas with his hook and bring her closer to him.

"Nu-uh," she tells him whilst nodding her head and grinning toothily up at the Captain, her silvery eyes shimmering in the eerie white blue light that surrounds all of the Underworld.

"I think you might just have some pirate blood in you," he teases.

"Up!" she demands before trying to climb up him, kneeing and kicking him several times in some unpleasant places before she finally finds a comfortable spot to sit and lie with her back pressed against one of his arms.

"You are one little madam. You know that right?"

"Sleeps," she yawns, curling in closer to his head and her eyes shutting almost immediately.

Killian is once again unaware of how much time passes as he keeps an arm wrapped around the toddler. All there is in that moment is peace and calm. No calamities, no villains to do battle with, and no pain or suffering. The pirate stares at the tiny child softly breathing against him. He can't believe how relaxing feeling a child in your arms could be, hearing them snuffle in their sleep, the feel of their warm breath, the scent of their skin that only babies have, and seeing their eyes moving beneath their pale lids as they dream. It is to the scene of Killian staring at Melinoe's spidery lashes flickering against her face as she dreams that Persephone walks into.

"You look good with a baby," she murmurs softly so as to not startle the Captain or her daughter.

"I never...I never thought about it. Henry, Emma's boy, I try to look out for. I did the same for his father long ago but I wasn't the same man back then and I couldn't provide him with what Baelfire needed. I could never be a father."

"That is obviously not true. You're very good with our Meli. Though I will warn you that if Hades hears you sing that bawdy tune you sang to her earlier, he will make your stay with us less pleasant."

"Thé spoke of you. Not a lot, but she did mention you a few times. Is it because of my connection to her that I'm not out in that pit?"

"You saw that then?"

"From a distance."

"You're not in Tartarus because you won't be remaining in the Underworld," explains Hades, rubbing a towel through his brown curly locks.

Killian frowns at this information, his eyes darting between the husband and wife who definitely don't seem as frightening as their titles lead many to believe.

"They're coming for you. Just be patient and don't do anything stupid like going into the pit. If you do that I likely won't be able to bring you back for them."

"So I **am** dead," states Killian in confusion, looking down at his body lounging on the sofa.

"You are dead and your form isn't a body. It's a soul. Should any mortal attempt to touch you they'd pass right through you," Seph tells him gently.

"Keep your promise to that lovely blonde of yours," winks Hades.

"What promise?"

"You were constantly reassuring her that you're a survivor. So survive this."

Killian jerks in shock at Hades' knowledge but the god gives him no time to ask any more questions as he leaves the room to head into the kitchen.

"Purty pirate," mumbles Melinoe in her sleep.

Persephone's lips curve into a mothering smile as she watches her child shift in Killian's arms. She had never thought that life could be any better than being with the man she loves and him loving her, always and truly. But since she first got pregnant with Melinoe she's had yet another little flame of light to burn away any darkness and bring her laughter and love. Silently she wishes she could beseech Hera that Killian get his family back and be able to make a new one too. But to speak the words aloud and bring the attention of that goddess would be asking for trouble for Thé.

With a kiss to her daughter's forehead Seph leaves to go attend to her duties as Queen of the Underworld, leaving Killian with the quiet sleeping baby and one thought tumbling round and round in his head. It seems like years ago that he was assuring his Swan that she wasn't going to lose him. He remembers telling her " _If there's one thing I'm good at, it's surviving."_ in the middle of the street outside of Granny's. He sighs thinking of how she felt in his arms and pressed against his lips. _I still love you Emma_ , he thinks, hoping that she somehow knows what he's thinking to her. _I_ _ **will**_ _survive and I will get home to you._


	4. Part 4

**Part 4**

"Robin, please. This could be extremely dangerous and I don't want to lose you. Plus you have too much here. You've got Roland and the baby…" cries Regina, trying to hold back actual tears as Robin continues to say he's joining them on their 'quest'.

"But _you_ won't be here. I love you Regina, and I know that you are a strong woman with amazing powers but I can't be left here not knowing if you're alive or dead. I went through that once before, or so I thought, with Marion," Robin tells her hesitantly. "I lived all these years believing that my mess up on the job got her killed. She was injured and she told me to leave her there in that forest so that our son would at least have one parent. When I didn't hear that the sheriff's men had found and arrested her I truly believed she died all alone because of me. Because I left her there. Instead it was worse, Zelena found her, killed her and then took the shape of my wife so that she could hurt us in the worst possible way. Regina, I can't go through either not knowing or believing in something that didn't happen."

"I get that. I do, truly. The only thing I have to say though is that if you go that leaves Zelena here alone with your little girl."

" _Our_ little girl. She may be Zelena's and mine by blood, but you are my love and she is a part of you too."

"Our little girl," Regina smiles down at the sleeping baby still cradled in Robin's arms. "You haven't been able to let Buttercup go for very long or let her out of your sight unless it was with someone you trusted, and even then you've been jumpy about Zelena doing something. And don't try to deny it because I have been the exact same way."

"Then what do we do?"

"I might have a solution," calls out Thé from where she's sat eating ice-cream out of the tub at Regina's kitchen counter.

Both Regina and Robin jump, swiveling to take in the ex-goddess making herself at home in Regina's house. Everyone else had left to make preparations for things that might be needed during the trip. With the exception of the purple-haired woman continuing to eat ice-cream and staring back at them.

"Why are you still in my house?" glares Regina with a scowl.

"If I'd left when that lot went," she replies, gesturing to the door the others had disappeared through several minutes ago, "there would likely have been bloodshed."

"I thought you'd rid yourself of your quandary with Rumplestiltskin," frowns Robin.

Thé rolls her eyes and lets out a humourless chuckle, "I haven't 'rid myself' of anything. I have chosen not to inflict pain and suffering on the man but it is extremely difficult keeping that choice, especially if I'm forced to socialise with him more than necessary. And between us _he_ wasn't the one I was going to bludgeon. Snow White is a bit of an annoyance. I can only handle so much false cheer and hope and lovey dovey shit. Plus, unlike the discussion I overheard between you two, she and her 'Prince Charming' have just thrown themselves straight into this trek into Tartarus without a single thought to their infant son being left without his parents in this world."

"I am definitely beginning to like you," grins Regina.

"All it took was a bit of bad mouthing the 'perfect, true love couple'?" quotes Thé with a snigger. "I can do much better than that. Regarding your issue of leaving the baby alone, you don't have to. And from what I've heard and seen we really don't want to be leaving Zelena back here whilst we're in the Underworld. That's just asking for disaster to strike this defenceless town."

"What's your plan then?" asks Robin with concern.

"Well she comes with us and Buttercup gets taken care of by a specialist."

"What kind of specialist?" queries Regina suspiciously.

"My friend Seph's mother. Mete is fantastic with babies. She's the goddess to call on when new mothers need a little helping hand. She can take care of both your baby and the Charmings'."

"You could do that? Have a goddess take care of our child until we returned," Robin gazes at Thé in amazement.

"Technically no. **I** can't but I can call upon Seph, hide any trace of my being here, and then she can call upon her mother. If her Mama knows I'm here then a lot of things could go south. The other gods and goddesses might decide to call their wrath down upon you, or they could punish Mete for interacting with me."

"Aren't you concerned about the latter happening for your friend?"

"Hades can protect Seph, Regina. She'll be okay. But I'll need to hide out by the docks until you're ready to perform the ritual. Mete won't go near Poseidon's territory. So just come find me when we're ready to do this thing. I'll just call on Seph and then go find me something to drink because I have not yet toasted to Killian and I need some booze."

Regina narrows her eyes and shakes her head at the young woman. "You are not at all like the myth."

"Yeah well you aren't exactly how you're portrayed in fairy tales in this world. The myths on the gods are pretty much the same. I was not borne fully formed from my father's head. I was born of Metis and Zeus; from whom I acquired wisdom and knowledge of warfare respectively. Yes I was once quite the virginal and calm goddess, many centuries ago. I still do not rise quickly to anger, but I've learnt to hold grudges. I still only choose to involve myself in fights that have a true purpose and I try to give people courage. But I am not the goddess I once was. My years away from Olympus changed me. This world, this realm has changed me the most. In some ways the changes are good, others aren't so great. However I prefer the person I am now in comparison to who I once was."

"I think I prefer who you are now rather than how the myths portrayed you. Though is the myth regarding your prodigious affinity with the art of war and weaponry true?" smirks Regina, believing that the rumours and tales she heard regarding Athena's abilities in those areas to be naught but hearsay.

"How do you think I managed to jam the gun and stop the arrows from hitting me?" grins Thé. "Now let us summon the Queen of the Underworld!"

"Definitely not something you think you'll hear every day and **not** dread," Robin tries to smile.

* * *

"David are you sure this is the right thing to do? I mean you just saw Emma. She's so focused on getting Hook back that I'm a little terrified of how she'll react if it doesn't work."

"Mary Margaret you always tell her to hope. Right now she's not hoping. She's simply trying to open herself up to the possibility that she, that _we_ can get Hook back. I would do the same for you if there was even the smallest chance that I could get you back."

"You're right," nods a worried-looking Snow. "We just have to have hope. Our family is good at finding each other, and that's kind of what Hook, sorry _Killian_ , has become."

"When did that happen," laughs David. "I mean our daughter the princess is or was dating, or whatever, a pirate. And said pirate has become like family to us all."

"She really needs him back," says a weepy-eyed Snow.

"Well you do not need to worry on that account," a husky voice tells them, making both jump and reach out for their weapons. "And you do not need those. Hi there, I'm Seph. Thé had me bring my Mum to Storybrooke to tend to the children whilst you go on your little voyage," waves the woman clad in a spun gold chiton dress, perched on the Charmings' counter.

"Your Mum?" frowns Mary Margaret, slightly lowering her bow.

"Demeter. She isn't aware of Thé's involvement here and you won't breathe a word of it to her otherwise I will burn your eyes out with bat guano," smiles Seph cheerfully as she flicks her golden blonde mane back over her shoulder. "My mother is going to take care of Robin's baby and your little one. They're in excellent hands; she's been doing this for millennia."

"You're Persephone," comments David as he finally lowers his sword and returns it to the scabbard still hanging around his waist.

"In the flesh. Queen of the Underworld, Goddess of Spring, best friend to an idiot who loves you little mortals, and wife of an idiotic husband who I recently had to forcefully remove from a soul who was singing sea shanties to our two year old daughter. How do you do?"

"Oh you have a daughter?" smiles Mary Margaret brightly.

"'Sea shanties'?" David frowns.

"Yes to both. The sooner you get to Tartarus the sooner I can have my living room back."

"You're talking about Hook, right?"

" _Killian_ , Prince Charming," sneers Seph, her happy mood instantly turning sour. "His name is Killian Jones, and he **is** a pirate but he is also a very good man."

"So we can bring him back?" asks Mary Margaret excitedly, her rounded face brightening up with hope.

"Two acquaintances, or friends, of yours did the very same thing: Princess Aurora and Mulan."

"Aurora and Mulan went to the Underworld?!"

"Sweetie, calm down. No need to yell Snow; we don't want to wake Neal."

"Yes they came into our abode, though they used Charon. They paid the price Hades requested and got Prince Phillip's soul out of the Qui Shen. Hey presto now Aurora and Phillip are here and have a little baby boy. You lot however have a much bigger advantage to the sleeping princess and her warrior. You have my incredible friend to help you out," smiles Seph.

"I would never have picked you two to be friends. Not that I don't think you make great friends, it's just you seem quite different. You're all kinds of perky and somewhat sweet whereas Thé is a biker and has a lot of rough edges," babbles Mary Margaret.

"She used to be very smooth. When we were kids we got thrown together because of our 'titles'. I'm considered a goddess of maidenhood and Athena was the virgin patron of Athens. It was a lot to deal with at our young ages, especially when so many of our siblings were getting it on with each other. We ended up being paired together because of that one aspect and she's a truer sibling to me than my own blooded brother, Arion."

"Athena is really going to help us get Killian back," murmurs David in shock and some amazement.

"She really is. But now we're going to shut up about her because my delightful mother is on her way. Remember, not a word or I'll blind you."

* * *

"Damn it!"

"Regina, what's wrong?" calls out Emma, the brunette's cursing pulling her out of her daydreaming as she sits by Killian's body in the Evil Queen's crypt.

"I have the seashells, crushed pearls, a still-living sea anemone and abysmal fog," she replies holding up the various containers, the last a clear vial with swirling white and grey smoke moving inside. "But I don't have water from Avalon. I had thought whilst we were in Camelot I might have visited and got some or that my mother would have it, but I can't find a single source of the enchanted water in Storybrooke. Without it we can't open the portal to bring the Dutchman through to our world."

"Thé might have some," suggests Henry as he climbs down the stairs and looks from one mother to the other. "She probably has all the ingredients."

"You're right," smiles Regina, the tension in her shoulders lifting.

"So does that mean I can come too?" asks the teenager hopefully.

"No Henry," both his mothers reply.

"You stay here, kid and watch over your uncle, Roland and Buttercup," Emma tells her son, pleading with her eyes that he'll accept her decision and not make any of this harder on her than it already is.

"Robin, Zelena and I will all be gone. We have a goddess looking after Buttercup and Roland but it's not the same as having family around too. Please do this for us Henry," adds Regina.

"Okay. Can I at least watch you perform the summoning ritual?"

"Be at the docks by sunset."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** This chapter ended up being longer than expected so I've split it into two. I'll upload the second half tomorrow. Sorry it took this long to get you these chapters. It's not because of how long the original chapter was. Just have not had too many good days this last week; neither physically nor mentally. Thank you so much for your patience.
> 
> I named Zelena and Robin's daughter Buttercup because my friend loves The Princess Bride.


	5. Part 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** It's my birthday today so enjoy this chapter as my gift to you all. And I shamelessly ask that your gift to me be reviews!

**Part 5**

Thé shakes her head at the size of the crowd gathered at the docks. All of them are keeping their distance from her and where she sits casually sprawled out on the only wooden platform that has no ships or boats tied to the brackets, a ¼ empty bottle of gin for company. The sea for once is not it's usual calm; every now and again a roiling wave rushes to the shore and raises up to splash across the dock. She is finally joined by Emma, Regina and the Charmings when the last flicker of light on the horizon begins to dim.

"I have most of the ingredients but I don't have water from Avalon."

Thé glances up at the small group standing next to her and pushes herself to her feet. "No worries," she tells them with a smile before rummaging in the battered leather bag slung across her shoulder. "Ta da!" she says, producing a clear vial of liquid with what looks like lightning bugs dancing inside.

"It's beautiful," murmurs Snow.

"You should see Avalon itself. Now that is a sight to see," reminisces Thé. "Is Morgana still the Lady of the Lake?"

"I believe so. I've never had the pleasure of meeting her but we have met her son, Lancelot."

Thé jolts and blinks in shock at the news the prince imparts to her.

"You didn't know?"

"No, Mary Margaret I didn't. But it's good news to hear," she says with a small smile. "Full night is almost upon us. Regina and Emma, if you could release the ingredients into the sea."

"And what are you going to do?" asks David suspiciously.

"Call out across the planes to guide the ship here," she winces in reply.

"It's the hardest part of the ritual," comments Regina.

Thé frowns at Regina, her words making her wary of the once Evil Queen. "You know a great deal about this ritual."

"My mother once performed it when I was much younger."

"Cora summoned Davy Jones?" exclaims Zelena as she, Robin, Rumplestiltskin and Belle join the small group.

"She wanted something of his but she couldn't compel him."

"Let's keep mum on the detail that Cora is the mother of you two. At least until we're well out at sea," suggests Thé with a glint of an eye, making sure the gathered party know that it isn't actually a suggestion but a command. "Now that we're all here; Emma you take the anemone and the fog, Regina you take the pearls and sea shells. You need to drop the anemone back into the waves and uncork the vial of abysmal fog and drop it in after. Then at the same point Regina -"

"I know what I have to do," she interrupts. "Soon it'll be too dark and we'll have to wait until sunrise."

"Which would just be awful," snarks Zelena sarcastically.

"Well the longer it takes us to get Killian back, the longer you're stuck with that bridle of mine strapped to your wrist. And if you continue to be a pain in my ass I'll disregard Robin's plea and place it on your face which will not only continue to mute your magic but also your voice. So do we have an understanding?" glares Thé.

"Fine," the Wicked Witch huffs and gives a roll of her eyes in reply.

"Good. You all stay back. And keep the dwarves back with Killian until I say otherwise," Thé murmurs that last part to David.

David, Mary Margaret, Robin, Zelena, Belle and Rumplestiltskin watch on as the three differing women head to the end of the dock; the brunette striding confidently in her dark grey pantsuit, the purple and green haired woman seemingly gliding over the wooden boards in her six-inch red suede heels, and the blonde nervously shuffling the contents in her hands as she approaches the sea with the others; her red leather jacket barely moving, even as the wind kicks up. The group watches on as Emma kneels at the end of the dock and carefully pulls the anemone from it's watertight container and lets it loose in the water. Gold leans forward as she drops the vial of abysmal fog, a side smirk appearing when the saviour steps automatically backwards as the fog spreads out of the vial the moment it reaches the waves. The darkness surrounding them, only broken by the electric lights dotted around the dock, thickens as the fog envelops the sea.

"Should that be happening?" worries Mary Margaret.

"Not to worry deary, it's not called abysmal fog for nothing," Gold tries to reassure the school teacher.

The group have to turn their faces away as Regina casts the powdered pearls into the bulging fog. The moment the substance touches the fog each granule burns brilliant white, blazing like the stars now hidden from their view. They hear the jingle of the sea shells as they too are tossed into the bulging fog only instead of hearing a splash of water from the shells hitting the sea, the sextet hear them crunching as if something was standing on them and smashing them to smithereens. Then there is complete silence. They look to one another in fear but force themselves not to react when they see Gold continues to be calm and has returned to watching the three women - now backlit by the dimming white light of the pearls. They watch as Thé opens her vial of water and holds it open in cupped hands, presenting it as a gift to the belching fog. Sound crashes back into existence around them.

"What…" Robin tries to ask but, like his companions, is too amazed by the sight before him to say anything else as tendrils of water rise out of the vial and seemingly embrace tendrils of fog reaching out to it.

Within the water they see gold flickerings that look like lightning bugs but seem to zoom around much more sedately. The little lights appear to dance through the water and then they suddenly expand when they touch the fog. When all the water in the vial is gone a soft humming fills the air at such a pitch that everyone on the docks can feel the hairs on their arms and the backs of their necks rising up. As the humming turns into a crooning aria the fog swirls until it takes the shape of a cyclone - the opening of it facing the docks. The three women remain where they stand as the opening grows larger and larger. The golden lights from the water of Avalon and the dimming white lights from the crushed pearls spin until they blur together.

And then everything seems to stop as if time itself no longer exists. The cyclone freezes. The waves pause. Even the foam beginning to form on the crest of the waves halts in mid-air. The only thing moving in the bubble are the people watching on in fascination and some fear at the phenomenon occurring before them. Seconds pass, but it could be minutes or hours, before the cyclone simply blows away like ashes thrown into a strong wind. The waves fall back and the sea calms once more. The wind dies down and the clouds high above disperse to reveal the inky black sky filled with twinkling stars and a crescent moon shining down on their quiet little town.

"Did it work?" asks David.

"It did," whispers Rumplestiltskin, leaning away from the oncoming sight.

From the depths of the calm ocean a mast begins to rise out of it. Water crashes down into the sea when the bow springs forth, followed by the rest of the large three-masted vessel. Rumplestiltskin exhales before forcing himself forward, the other five slowly following after him. They quickly reach the three women; Regina and Emma stare in shock and amazement at the traditional-rigged ship anchoring by the dock, whilst Thé has her back to the incredible sight. Regina, whilst having seen The Flying Dutchman being summoned before, is still shocked by the sight of the ship in such close quarters. An eerie feeling encases the ship that seems to add to making all those that clap eyes on the vessel feel awed by it's presence. Along with a foreboding fear that floods even the most courageous when the ship docks and a line is thrown to the wooden platform they stand upon.

"What is it you wish of The Dutchman and her crew that you mortals dare force us from our heading and bring us to this godforsaken land?" a snarly voice croaks at them as the owner of the voice slides down the rope and spryly lands on the wooden dock.

Two blazing blue eyes belligerently stares down the gathered group, an age-spotted hand caresses his foamy white beard that almost hides his rosy cheeks. He wears a soft dark green hat that covers the short cropped brown hair interspersed with white and grey. The man seems to be quite fit (especially for his age) and his short sleeved tunic shows off his tattooed biceps but it also clings to a portly stomach that seems at odds with the rest of his robust figure.

"Well? Is there not a one of you who isn't a cowardly dog?"

"We'll be requiring cabins for our voyage. Have the crew take our bags to them, Mr Branigan," Athena commands the man in an icy tone, finally turning to face ship.

Mr Branigan freezes and only his eyes rove to find the face of the one that spoke. The rosy flesh of his cheeks pale when his eyes clap on to Thé's hazel eyes and emotionless face. The First Mate begins to stutter and quickly yanks his cap from his head and gives a gracious bow to the goddess standing before him.

"Get your lazy hides down here you dogs and fetch these valises!" he shouts out to the crew, not removing his gaze from Athena.

His command causes the crew to begin scurrying and scampering across the deck of the ship and down on to the dock to bring aboard the assorted luggage the group packed for their voyage.

"May I introduce you all to Mr Branigan, First Mate of The Flying Dutchman," Thé tells the group, giving the sailor a soft smile.

"An honour it is to be seeing you, my fair lady. But the Captain isn't one to enjoy being summoned...even by one as lovely as you."

"Laying it on a little thick, isn't he?" comments Emma quietly.

"He doesn't have to enjoy it. We have need of his services and he **will** provide them."

"Um...aye, my lady. But, uh, would you mind being the one to inform him of that?" asks Mr Branigan nervously making Thé laugh.

"Branigan where the blasted hell are we?" comes a deafening shout just before a tall dark-haired man appears and swiftly joins them on the docks.

"We were summoned Cap'n."

"'Summoned'? Then why is **my** crew carrying items aboard **my** ship instead of the beautiful sound of cannons blasting the bastards to The Locker filling the air?"

"That would be...well it's a matter of…"

"Just spit it out man!"

"Your crew is doing as I commanded," states Thé, her eyes flashing momentarily silver as she interrupts Mr Branigan's stuttered replies.

The blue eyed Captain swirls round to face Athena; his face emotionless with the exception of his eyes widening ever so slightly and a subtle twitch of his lips. Davy Jones stares at the young woman, taking in the changes since the last time he saw her. He forces himself to hold back his frown that her luscious mahogany locks are now a vivid royal purple and lime green. And so short. Before her tresses reached the base of her spine and now they barely kiss the length of her neck. The change of clothing is not as difficult to accept. Whilst her creamy peplos or crimson chiton were beautiful against her swarthy skin, the tightness of the crimson trews and the leather jacket add a darker edge to the goddess. Before he can react or say anything Davy notices the glare in her hazel eyes and pulls on his own anger.

"You have no right to summon me or command my crew," he shouts. "My crew and I are leaving. Never call upon us again!"

"No you are not," replies Thé bitingly. "You **will** take us to the Underworld and return us to this place."

"The Underworld?" chuckles Davy humorlessly. "You expect me to just sail you and this bunch of good for nothing mortals into Hades lair. Why?"

"Emma," the ex-goddess turns to the blonde at her side who takes a breath and calls upon her light magic. "That is why," Thé murmurs her gaze flickering to the stretcher Emma's magic transported from where the dwarves were guarding it nearby.

The Captain of The Dutchman rolls his eyes but his intrigue on why Athena would risk such a thing is too great. He turns to look at the magical stretcher holding the body it carries in a form of stasis. Davy's face blanches and pales when he sees Killian's empty form carefully lain out on the stretcher. Were it not for his ability to see the soul of a person, thanks to Poseidon, he would think the rugged pirate was simply sleeping. Davy turns from the sight, putting his back to the confused group of onlookers, and remembers the last time he had seen Killian.

" _Please. You can bring her back. You_ _ **have**_ _to!" screams Killian from where he cradles Milah's body on the deck of the Jolly Roger._

_The pirate's crew inch back, fearing that their young Captain has lost his marbles and become deranged by the loss of the woman he'd given his heart to. Hidden by the abysmal fog - which opens the way for his ship to traverse the realms - Davy watches on as Killian cries tears of agony. Hours pass before Killian's pleas for Davy Jones to appear and bring the lass' soul back to her come to an end. His voice hoarse, his tears all cried out, the young man carefully and lovingly wraps the brunette in a soft white sheet. A burial at sea for a woman who had loved it just as much as he had. Her watery grave her final resting place._

" _I hate you," Killian bites out, his dry gaze on the horizon as the splash of the body entering the sea fills the area._

Davy had watched on as Killian's anger and hatred for the Dark One, and Davy himself, had boiled inside him. He watched as the young pirate threw the bean out into the ocean and travelled far from the land that had caused him such heartache and misery. Never again would he be the same man, and never again would Davy have the chance to see him.

"Killian destroyed the darkness of the Dark One. We plan to return his soul to his body. But we need transport," Thé tells his back. "I cannot travel via Charon."

"So I am your only way," sighs Davy bitterly before turning around. "What's in it for my crew?"

Thé sneers at the Captain but takes the bag of Charon's obols from Belle and tosses them to the dark-haired man. The group holds their breath as Davy counts through the sword-stamped coins before retying it and pocketing the bag.

"There's only nine of you," he comments with a raise of his brow.

"The other four can be just in case," replies Thé.

"You always did like to cover all your bases," Davy chuckles. "Branigan, help me cart this on to the ship," he commands with a gesture to Killian.

"That went easier than expected," says Snow.

"Almost too easily," adds Zelena, a glint in her eyes that flickers out when Thé cuts her eyes to the witch.

"Mom?" calls out Henry as he approaches the group; the Merry Men, the dwarves and Granny dutifully following.

"Be good, and try not to get into any mischief," smiles Emma, giving her son a hug and kissing his forehead before giving him over to Regina for the brunette to say her goodbyes.

Snow, Charming and Belle say their goodbyes to the dwarves and Granny; the couple having already said a tearful farewell to their son when Demeter came to take him to Regina's house earlier in the day. Robin gives his own stoic farewell to his Men. Gold, Thé and Zelena remain separated from the parting crowd of well-wishers.

"Everyone, I'm sorry but we need to get aboard," interrupts Thé regretfully as final goodbyes are said and the smaller group disperse to board the Flying Dutchman.

"He's not quite how I pictured," whispers Emma to Regina as they make their way across the gangplank making Athena laugh.

"What, were you expecting him to be all tentacley?"

"Why on Earth would anyone expect that?" frowns Regina in bewilderment.

"Disney," explains The. "They get it wrong so often. Though I definitely wouldn't mind if a certain Captain Jack or Will Turner were real," she grins giving them a wink.

"Amen to that," Emma immediately agrees, her eyes widening when she realises what she said. "Do **not** tell Killian I said that."

Thé promises once she stops laughing but is brought to a halt upon reaching the main deck. A leggy brunette saunters across the deck pointing out the way to the cabins made up for The Dutchman's latest guests. Davy returns to the main deck, having placed Killian's stretcher in his own cabin. The Captain forces himself to remember proper etiquette and swiftly introduces himself to the large group. He prides himself on being able to shake Rumplestiltskin's hand rather than punching the man. He turns to the last of the group, a beautiful blonde, but does not get a chance to introduce himself.

"So Megara you'll save," sneers Thé, flinching when Davy turns to her with soft eyes and reaches out to touch her. "Don't," she warns before turning away from the Captain and silently leading Emma to the Captain's cabin so the Saviour can stay with Killian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** So now you've met Davy Jones. My friend and I had a theory regarding him and that's where the flashback scene came from. I won't say anything more so as not to spoil what's to come in my story, but I'm sure some, if not all, of you can figure him out.


	6. Part 6

**Part 6**

"Do your rings carry any meaning?" asks Emma; Killian's latest memory she perused before her solitude was interrupted being his gifting her his ring.

She continues to hear his " _Calm down Swan, I'm not proposing"_ even once the crystal is clear again. The memory washes over her but this time, with the help of the crystal, she realises that she was slightly disappointed that he _wasn't_ proposing. She knew she was in no way ready for such a step but she can't help but think it would have been nice. And it's those thoughts that cause her to break the silence filling the insulated cabin; all other sounds from the rest of the ship blocked and repelled by magic coating the wooden walls of the room, according to Thé.

Her question halts the Captain's perusal of his maps laid out across the expanse of his heavy wooden desk. The table is so similar to Killian's on the Jolly Roger that a single glance at the dark wood has her automatically tightening her grip on the crystal that has yet to leave her hold since Thé gave it to her. Emma diverts her eyes from the object in question in order to keep a reign on the tears that suddenly prick her green-blue eyes and threaten to fall. If even a single one dropped she doesn't think she'd be able to stop crying, and so she distracts herself with the middling-aged, dark-haired Captain.

"A couple do, aye. One for my first love," he replies with a twinkle as he holds out his forefinger on his left hand where a heavy gold Celtic-style ring rests set with several garnets upon the Celtic knots. "This one is for my family," he gestures to the silver ring mounted with a single black onyx; the metal engraved with a flower in the shape of butterfly wings. "And this one because it goes with my eyes," he winks wiggling the simple rustic gold ring, with a Capri blue quartz set into the metal, on his pinkie.

Emma smiles in reply, saying nothing else and earning her a grateful grin in return for not mentioning the ring he completely skipped over; a wide plain silver band upon his wedding finger that has a large round blue gold stone inlaid into it. Emma watches as Davy makes another marking on his various charts, her curiosity rises but not enough for her to move from her stool by the raised stretcher upon which Killian's body still lies.

"What is it you're doing anyway?"

"Plotting the route we'll take and which doorway to The Locker we'll use," Davy Jones replies genially.

"The Locker? But we're going to the Underworld, aren't we?" asks Emma confusedly.

Davy smiles gently at the young woman and her inquisitiveness; a trait he knows likely aided in attracting Killian to her. "It's a difficult concept to get your head around but I'll try to explain with an analogy from your realm," he tells her as he puts aside his maps and pencils. "All the realms are sort of spread out like how your realm's solar system is; just imagine each 'planet' as a realm - though there are many more realms than there are planets in your system. Now between the 'planets' and the 'sun' is The Locker. It is all the darkness of your sky but it can only be accessed through specific doors in each realm. By passing through the darkness you get to the 'sun' - the realm where the Gods and Goddesses abide; both Mount Olympus and the Underworld. Does that help explain things?"

"A bit, thanks. You and Thé are extremely knowledgeable about the real world, or rather _my realm_ ," she says these last two words hesitantly.

"Athena has spent decades there, possibly even centuries of your time. I, and my crew, have been tasked on travelling to your realm several times for victims destined for The Locker instead of Elysium, or Tartarus. In your realm, and your time, I suppose The Locker could be seen as Purgatory whilst Elysium and Tartarus are equivalent to heaven and hell respectively."

The Captain's voice had taken on an almost mystical quality as he spoke and so Emma startles when the door to the cabin suddenly flies open and Thé enters followed by Snow and Charming. Emma's parents ignore the Captain in the room and immediately move to check in with their daughter, and Killian. Thé meanwhile remains near the door, her arms folded and her face in a scowl as she glares over at Davy who merely smirks back at her before gathering up all his instruments and papers and exiting his cabin. Thé jumps aside when he purposefully brushes against her when he leaves.

"This is going to be a really long trip," she moans before plopping down on the bed she made up earlier on the opposite side of the room to the actual bed (Emma had been surprised when the berth didn't catch fire the first time they'd entered the room and Thé had stared at the large comfortable bed with a fiery glare).

Snow, Charming and Emma all glance over at the ex-goddess who immediately falls asleep, unperturbed by the motions of the ship or the people watching her.

"She's a strange one," murmurs David to his daughter. "Zelena and Rumplestiltskin weren't overly pleased by their accommodations but she shut down their complaints with a simple threat of having them thrown in the brig for the entirety of this quest."

"Was it just those two being snobs, or do you all get stuck with the less than stellar beds?" asks Emma. "Because if you and Mom want to sleep in here with us, I'm fine with pitching a bed on the floor like Thé."

"Oh sweetheart, you don't need to do that. We all have quite nice cabins, surprisingly large considering we're on a ship. Your father and I were given Mr Branigan's quarters, at his repeated assistance once he found out who we were," smiles Snow sweetly. "Regina and Robin are also enjoying their privacy in one of the guest cabins apparently available. Thé walked in and then straight back out. All she would tell us was that they were 'busy' before winking and heading off to check on the other three."

"Belle's room is small but she swore it would be more than suitable. That's when we heard the ruckus from Zelena," David rolls his eyes at his daughter. "She wasn't content to have to share with the female sailors and turned her delicate nose up at the hammock Mr Branigan directed her to as her bed. Rumplestiltskin took his own similar situation in a less childish manner. He sneered at having to share a room with a load of 'unwashed and uncouth sailors', or at least that was the gist of his complaint to Thé. He quieted down after her threat of having them put into a cell."

"I'd like to know what Athena whispered to him that made him go so pale," adds Mary Margaret.

"All I could make out was that it was something about Killian."

"Killian?" frowns Emma, her gaze darting to the man in questions body.

"It was about or regarding him, yes. But that's all I know, Emma."

"Thanks for letting me know anyway," she tries to smile in reply to her father but it comes out as more of a grimace. "Do you know where we are?"

"We haven't gone back on deck yet. We thought we'd check in with you first."

"I'm okay Mom. Davy Jones explained how the realms are situated and that we have to go through The Locker in order to get to the Underworld."

"What's he like?" Mary Margaret whispers conspiratorially. "There's so many stories about him. That he's gruff and very pirate-like. I've heard you really don't want to anger him either or he'll call the wrath of the gods down upon you."

"Well I hate to burst your dramatic bubble but he seemed pleasant enough."

"You speak with Davy Jones and all you can give me is _'he seemed pleasant enough_ '" outrages Mary Margaret.

"Forgive your mother, she's just being a gossip. You should try to get some rest. You still have yet to sleep since..." drifts off David, his sorrowful glance falling to the unmoving chest of the leather clad pirate who had become a friend, a _mate_ , and who he sort of trusted with his daughter (she _was_ his daughter, whether grown or not, and he _was_ still a pirate) because he helped and understood her far better than either he or Snow may ever be able to.

"I'll try," she weakly promises them before giving them each a small embrace as they left her alone in the cabin with her dead boyfriend's body and an ex-goddess who was once connected to said dead boyfriend in some mysterious way that Thé was keeping mum about. "Yeah, sleep's unlikely to come here," she mutters to herself as she returns to focusing her attention on the memories that rise to the surface of the crystal with only a mere thought from her.

* * *

The following day the group were all sprawled about on deck. The motion of the large ship was quite smooth but the crew took notice that not all of them got their sea legs as quick as others. Zelena was one of the group who had difficulties properly keeping her balance except when on deck and able to see the waves crashing against the hull as they speedily drove through the aquamarine ocean. The crew would give a hoot every time she tried to walk and ended up swaying and stumbling like a drunk. But all was currently quiet as the sailors did their various chores (swabbing parts of the ship, mending sails, fixing lines, etcetera) and the Storybrooke lot sat wherever they could - against the masts, on the rigging, atop some of the heavy barrels carefully strapped down. Everyone was simply taking the moment to enjoy the warmth of the sun and the serenity that seemed to have settled around them, or at least that's what Snow had been smiling cheerfully about.

Emma sighs as she stares out at the pale blue horizon, having been forced by her parents and Regina to come up on to the main deck for fresh air, rather than remaining cooped up below in the Captain's cabin. It's not that she isn't grateful to them for looking out for her, but her grief is still raw and painful. She wants to be alone, not surrounded by beautiful and peaceful scenery that is really just making her miss Killian all the more. And so she's glad of the distraction when Davy Jones crosses his deck, at the ready to take over at the helm. Her parents, Regina, Robin, Belle, and even Zelena and Gold all fall into a murky silence as he passes them by with barely more than a glance. Emma's unsure if anyone else notices how Gold tries to make himself smaller as the tall, well-built Captain strolls confidently past; or if they notice how the Captain's pale blue eyes seem to momentarily freeze over when they land on the more diminutive man.

Davy's eyes thaw once his sight is no longer blocked by the main mast. Heat burns through his gaze as it roves over the lightly tanned body of the woman lying sprawled across the railing in front of the wheel. Now that he's had time to get used to seeing the ex-goddess again, and the shock has mostly worn off, Davy decides he wants to have a little fun with the much more spunky Athena. _And perhaps a little more than that_ , he thinks as she shifts position causing her bare midriff to tauten and ripple; the charm dangling from her piercing glistening in the sun and tinkling with the movement. His eyes cannot settle on any one part of Thé as he quietly climbs up to the quarterdeck. They flicker from her arms reaching up over her head, wrists crossed, and down to her breasts encased in a stringy electric blue bikini top. Davy's gaze continues to follow the slope of her body to the extremely small and well-fitting dark denim ripped shorts. But it is the sight of her long bare legs bent and sprawled open, her small bare feet pressed flat against the wood beneath her body, that truly draws him. He comes quickly to his senses, swallows back the saliva pooling in his mouth and stalks onwards, a merciless and indecent smirk on his lips.

"Lass, as much as I like you lying on your back at my helm and in such miniature clothing, I'd much rather if we were alone and naked."

Thé's eyes snap open immediately and, upon seeing the look on the Captain's face she spins and jumps down on to the deck. "In your dreams," she snarls.

"Always. And I'm in your's too. No need to deny it or be ashamed. But you know it doesn't all have to be make-believe and fantasy. I'm sure we could find a private corner for a few hours worth of pleasure," he winks lasciviously.

Growling in disbelief and anger at the nerve of him Thé slaps him hard across the face. Then she moves in closer to him and deftly manoeuvres to knee the cocky Captain directly in the balls. Hard. Davy Jones gasps out in pain as he drops to his own deck, clutching his crown jewels. But a glance at the satisfied smile on Thé's pink lips has him determined he'll be the one to have the last say.

"Now that wasn't very nice. Want to go back to my cabin and kiss him better?"

Thé's only reply is a swift strong punch to his stomach, knocking the air out of him and making him unable to make a sound let alone another disgusting comeback at her. With a silent huff the ex-goddess turns on her bare feet and regally walks away, heading to her current chambers aboard the ship and ignoring the Storybrooke crowd who, whilst seeing all the action hadn't heard what had been said.

As the purple-haired woman passes Regina raises an eyebrow and mutters to the group, "Well there's definitely history between them."

"And **a lot** of tension. Sexual tension," adds Zelena with a maniacal grin.

* * *

" **Davy Jones!** "

"You bellowed?" snarks the Captain once he finally deems to climb up from where he was sleeping below to find out what's got the purple haired harpy in a twist now; for days he'd been teasing her and making all sorts of suggestive remarks resulting in her becoming even more riled than that first time, but since then she has yet to turn to violence again.

"Have you seen the blasted heading your damned half-wits of a crew are sailing towards whilst you lounge below decks and be a lazy sod?" Thé retorts, her eyes flickering from hazel to silver and back again uncontrollably.

"We're on the right course," he glares after checking his sextant prior to flirtatiously telling her, "If you just wanted to call on me you didn't have to make up such a ridiculous excuse."

Thé grits her teeth, trying not to rise to the bait because where they are currently sailing through bodes ill for them all. "I get that this is likely your usual passageway to The Locker but do try to remember _I'm_ aboard this vessel," she manages to spit out through her fury.

"I'm not likely to bloody forget," mutters Davy under his breath, his gaze roaming over the excruciatingly short black denim skirt she's wearing with a backless blue halterneck. He sighs in annoyance when he sees her eyes still switching back and forth and the rage pent up inside of her. "How does your being aboard her factor into our direction?"

At that moment an animalistic screech echoes across the ocean creating ripples through the waves and suddenly jerking The Flying Dutchman off her current course, causing all those on deck to reach out and grab hold of a line so that the motion doesn't send them overboard. Thé's eyes widen and she looks in the direction the mournful and furious cry came from. But before anything can be done every member of the crew on deck glance fearfully down at the wood beneath their feet. A sudden reverberation bounces through the keel of the ship; the vibration strong enough that those on the main deck can easily feel it. Thé groans and rolls her eyes at their luck.

"I warned you," she complains to the Captain - whose pale blue eyes have finally widened in recognition for why this wasn't the best course to set.

"On deck, all hands!" he bellows out, his powerful voice reaching even the lower decks of his ship. "To arms! Prepare for attack. Make ready and man the guns. See to the powder. Keep it dry. Defend the masts."

"What's happening?" frets Mary Margaret as the Storybrooke group appear, all readying themselves for a fight just like the sailors now rushing around The Flying Dutchman in organised chaos.

"The Captain here made a decision, but given that it's a stupid-ass decision and he elected to ignore what I was trying to tell him we're now about to be bombarded. Thanks to his stellar navigational skills we're in Echidna's quarter and she's unleashed one of her pets, or children. Whatever you want to call them."

"To be fair, it's your fault," argues Davy. "You **had** to go and make that comment about her newest child, likening it to a walrus, and now you have only yourself to blame for the nemesis you've made for life."

"The kraken will hit first and then she'll appear to take care of the survivors," Thé tells them, ignoring Davy Jones. "Try to keep out of the reach of her body and tail; her favourite method of killing is asphyxiation. But she will try to bite you too like any snake. Also don't look directly into her eyes as she can freeze you where you stand and then take her time killing you. She's kind of like a basilisk that way only she can't petrify you through her reflection and she doesn't speak Parseltongue."

" _You've_ read Harry Potter," stares Emma dumbfounded, her mind grasping on to the only thing making sense to her in that moment.

"Not exactly what you should be focusing on right now, but yes," Thé replies with a smile that is more grimace because of what they're about to face.

"My girl is a fast ship," grits out Davy Jones.

"That she is, but not fast enough. But we **will** need a quick getaway if we can wound Echidna."

Davy nods in agreement and starts pointing to several hands: "You lot, to your stations. Make fast the bunt gasket. Man the capstan. Haul those sheets! Full canvas. Make ready to flee to port as soon as we're clear of these blasted beasts. We may only have minutes to reach the exit," he commands but once his sailors have gone to do as they're told he mutters to himself, "Now if this wind would just keep up."

"Call on _him_ ," whispers Thé significantly, her eyes soften for an instant before the moment breaks and she turns to direct the Storybrooke lot on where they can help best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** So I wrote some of this over my birthday weekend, the rest whilst I was in hospital this afternoon getting tests, and finished it off once I got home. Apologies for any mistakes, I am still currently feeling the effects of the sedation I was under. I think this will be the last update I get done and uploaded before Christmas and Boxing Day so I wish all of my readers that celebrate it A Very Merry Christmas!
> 
> Also managed to throw in three references/quotes to three separate film series in that last part. Can any of you guess all three? I’ll give you a clue: one is very easy and obvious.


	7. Part 7

**Part 7**

"Poseidon, oh great god of the seas, I call to you in my hour of need. Dark-haired Poseidon, to you the waters of the world obey, those briny depths that brought us all into life. Poseidon, maker and master of horses, trident-bearer, I beseech you: Hasten the winds about us. Lord of the black sea depths, roil the waves until they swirl and crash enhancing our speed and flight. Hail to you Mighty Poseidon Lord of all the waters and Oceans of Gaia, may your mercy be granted on these sailors that serve you dutifully. Aid us, dark-haired Poseidon, that is all I ask. May your mercy be swift and grant us a storm that will carry us from the one that searches to strike at us," calls out Davy Jones from the bow of the ship.

Moments pass as the Captain's eyes rove over the gently swaying dark ocean and the horizon that holds but a few cotton ball-like clouds. White and fluffy against the light blue sky of a pleasant afternoon and with but a mild wind. Davy grits his teeth and his hands clench around the wooden railing before him, his knuckles turning white. Behind him his sailors remain in organised chaos; preparing for the fight they cannot outrun and for the hope that they will be able to flee the secondary enemy undoubtedly headed their way also. Davy swears profusely as his prayer continues to go unanswered and turns away to do what he can with aiding in preparing for the oncoming battle, but Athena's voice breaks him from his sudden melancholy that Poseidon had abandoned them.

"Batten down the hatches!" cries out Thé as the wind roars around them and the previously idyllic blue sky broils grey with an angry storm.

The crew rush to her command and secure the ship's tarpaulins, ensuring the stocks in the cargo hold remain secure and dry should the heavens open and the rain come teaming down. But with the darkening sky their visibility of the water diminishes. The sailors finish their preparations and man their various posts: some stand before cannons - both above and below decks; some stand at the ready with muskets and rifles, harpoons and swords; others guard the masts and lines holding the sails ready so that they need only be unfurled and they can flee; the rest take care of the powder in the cargo hold, ensuring the only thing that might ensure their survival remains dry.

"Cap'n!" calls down Smythe from his post up in the crow's nest, one arm extended and pointing to the port side.

Davy pulls out and extends his spyglass. Barely visible a large dark shadow swims swiftly below the surface of the stormy sea.

"Hold. Steady lads. Hold," he commands, thankful that his 'guests' also listen to his orders as it would do no good to fire upon the creature so soon. "Hello Beastie," he mutters, a part of him relishing the fight with the sea creature.

They all watch with bated breath as the animal takes very little time to reach them. And then they feel it as the dark shadow hits the bilges of the ship. A shudder goes through the wooden frame and The Dutchman is brought to a jarring halt in the middle of the choppy ocean. Tentacles, each at least ten inches thick and the gods know how long, begin to rise up the sides of the ship. The suckers are each as large as a man's face. Water streams down from the wet skin, crashing to the deck of the ship. The noise of the water hitting the wood is lost however when the sky suddenly opens and the sound of thunder echoes across the skies and seas. Rain pelts down on the sailors adjusting their aim on the creature's arms as they rise ever higher.

"Fire. Fire all. Hit it with everything you've got!" yells Davy Jones over the storm crashing all around them.

Cannon fire and the sounds of iron cast bullets ripping through flesh fill the air. The sounds of an animal's pitiful cry of pain rents through the air just as Thé calls the attack off. The bloodied and wounded tentacles - some having been blasted clean off and one with a particularly wicked-looking harpoon still stuck through it - slither back into the sea and the Kraken disappears back into it's own domain in the far depths of the ocean. All the deckhands and the Storybrooke lot burst into cheers and smiles, but one look at their Captain and Thé's dark faces halts them.

"Hard to starboard!" bellows Thé when she turns to speak with David, Mary Margaret, Regina, Robin and Emma (the other three remaining below decks to help with the movement of powder for the mass of cannons).

The creature had attacked them from the North whilst Echidna planned to hit them from the South. The Dutchman's crew move swiftly and efficiently, managing to turn the ship in time to avoid the Mother of all Monsters hitting the starboard side of the ship dead centre. With the wind on their side they manage to move into position to fire on the half-woman half-snake that emerges snarling from the foamy sea. But she is quick too, even against the choppy waves. She slithers across the ocean towards the bow of the ship in a frantic attempt to avoid the starboard cannons.

"Bow cannons!" calls out Davy Jones.

Thé stops the others from racing towards the bow by throwing out her arm. She watches intently as the canons bang on and on. An angry snarl is all they hear before a more miniature form of the black matted haired woman appears in a swirl on the main deck of The Dutchman. Guns are dropped and swords picked up. But the pale-skinned woman has weapons of her own. Some of the sailors glance into her gorgonian amber eyes, freezing them where they stand. It takes no more than a simply flick of her dark green tail to send the members of Davy's crew overboard. Others manage to duck their eyes, and then their heads when the tail whips out at them. In front of Thé, Emma and Regina begin launching fireball after fireball at the snake-lady, all in an attempt to make her back up some into an awaiting net. The Mother of all Monsters however is not an idiot. Thé manages to avoid the sweeping curve of her tail by dropping hard on to the wooden floor of the deck, but Emma and Regina quickly find themselves with the scaly skin wrapped around their throats. Echidna grins gleefully, the lightning above glinting of her razor sharp fangs that drip with clear venom.

"Make ready to get to the doorway," Thé whispers to Davy as she rises to her feet. "Looking for me?" she calls out jauntily to the sea bitch happily choking the two witches.

"Athena," she hisses, her amber eyes slitting as her gleeful grin turns into a hateful snarl.

But before the half-woman half-serpent can attack, Thé is wrapped in a warm golden light that forces Echidna to look away from her prey. It means she sees and defends against Charming and Robin's attempt at attacking her from behind, but that leaves her tail free for Thé to attack once she's clad in her golden armour and clutching her beloved spear. Echidna screams out, dropping her hold on the two women after Thé stabs her spear into the two sections wrapped around Regina and Emma's necks. Now freed, and with Thé at their side, Regina and Emma launch their attack once more. In synch the two women pelt the snake woman with fire as Thé jabs at her torso with her glinting spear. Again and again they fight against her attempts to hurt them or freeze them with her gaze.

"Best jump off now sweetie," grins Thé gesturing to the translucent shimmer up ahead where an abysmal fog is beginning to form as The Dutchman grows closer.

Echidna screeches when she sees the ship's course. Her fangs lengthen as she glares with more hatred than before (something Thé hadn't thought possible) at the ex-goddess. With a hissed snarl she slithers away from her attackers and the Mother of all Monsters flings herself overboard to return to her own domain. The bodies of the lost sailors she threw overboard drag behind her, her prize, or rather payment, for the fight and letting The Dutchman and all her passengers travel onwards on their journey.

Finally they can all cheer and celebrate. The unfurled sails continue to billow high above them - Echidna not seeing the crew loosen the lines at their Captain's command as she was being distracted by the three women - and in no time they reach the shimmering doorway; the hole in the realm that only the damned members of Davy's crew, Davy Jones and Thé can see. On their approach abysmal fog had slithered and thickened around the area. It wraps around the ship, and with a flash like lightning they get pulled through and into The Locker.

* * *

Days of calm endless seas pass as The Dutchman slowly drifts through The Locker, that seemingly goes on and on and on. The only change is the sun suddenly turning into a moon. Here there is no sunrise, nor a sunset. Simply day and then night. The passage of time, and the sedate travel begins to wear on the Storybrooke passengers. Regina and Robin attempt to keep themselves occupied in their cabin. Belle seeks freedom from the boredom by reading through Davy's book collection. Rumplestiltskin and Zelena are put to work alongside the crew after the Bosun has enough of their individual complaints. David manages to hold off his own boredom by practising sword play with the crew. Thé keeps mostly to herself, the passage of time having little effect on her, but the close quarters with the Captain do and so at least once a day she becomes extremely irritated with him and they break into a yelling match at one another. For Snow, she worries about her daughter who since arriving in The Locker has shut herself away in the Captain's cabin and barely spoken a word to anyone or eaten anything. Her grief for Killian is tearing her apart from the inside, and so Snow spends her days by her daughter's side trying to provide silent comfort. For now everything is quiet, but Snow knows that everything isn't okay. And that becomes more apparent when one day - Snow has lost count how many days have passed since they entered The Locker - Emma breaks down and begins crying once Snow greets her with her usual 'Good morning, sweetheart.' and Regina, who has joined her today along with Belle, asks 'How're you feeling today?'

"He said with him it was different. It took us so long because he was proving to me he wasn't going to leave and that I wouldn't be alone. He **promised** he'd survive. But he didn't. He went and died instead. Killian's dead. Killian is gone and I'm left alone. Once again," she wails, the tears gathered in her verdigris eyes threatening to fall.

"Sweetheart, we'll get him back," encourages Snow.

"You don't get it. He willingly came up with a plan that meant he'd be gone. None of this is supposed to happen," she continues to cry, blindly waving a hand around her luscious surroundings in the Captain's quarters.

"Emma, he did it for you. For all of us. You helped shape him into the hero he became, and he did just what one was supposed to," Regina tries to explain to the blonde gently; feeling greatly for Henry's other Mom because she knows that dark pit of despair when our lover dies...is murdered, especially right in front of your eyes.

"I am so sorry, Emma. Truly," adds Belle, the guilt that it was _her_ love who actually stole Emma's from her.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Emma murmurs staring up at the beautiful brunette from her seat on the floor next to Killian's body on the raised stretcher, the crystal of memories clutched to her chest. "I'm the one who should apologise. I've no idea where that came from," she says as she tries to wipe the tear tracks from her face without letting go of the crystal.

"It's your grief. It builds inside of you. At least you have all of us here with you. I turned to magic, the dark kind, because I didn't have anyone to help me through it. You'll get through this Emma."

"Begging your pardon, miladies," mumbles Mr Branigan from the entrance, worrying his soft cap between his hands. "Would you mind help me out with the Captain and Lady Athena? They're going at it again. Also if you don't mind my saying Princess Emma, regarding your grief: it's completely natural to feel it even whilst on such an expedition. It's hard to believe you can get young Killian back when his soulless body lies frozen in time beside you. You'll see though. Lady Athena, she'll make it all happen," imparts the quirky and kindly First Mate before gesturing to follow him and towards the sounds travelling down from the main deck that are getting louder and louder the longer they wait around.

"Look enough of this!" shouts Regina, cutting off the sniping and biting remarks Thé and Davy are firing at each other. Again. "The two of you are acting like children. If you spent more time considering ways to make this blasted ship go faster than having childish tiffs with each other we'd be in the Underworld by now!"

"Regina," murmurs Robin, attempting to pacify his love.

"You think my shouting at him and my anger with him is 'childish'?" retorts Thé bitingly, her eyes momentarily flashing silver. "You have no idea what he put me through, the hurt I have because of him."

"Athena," says Davy, his gaze pained as he holds out a hand to comfort her.

Thé bats the hand away and snarls at him, "It's not just about Aethyia," her voice trembling over the name. "I was kicked out of Olympus because of you. Ares imprisoned me and took my gorgonian - the very amulet that proclaimed me as royalty, as a beloved daughter of Zeus - all because I was a daft woman. And then Aethyia too was punished for _my_ sins."

"A sin? That's what you call what we had. I **loved** you," Davy shouts in her face, but the ex-goddess barely blinks at the information that makes their suddenly unwilling audience uncomfortable. "And as a result your bloody uncle cursed me to be as I am."

"And yet I continued to love you even after Poseidon cursed you so. But as you said: _loved_ , past tense. You turned me away when I needed you most. So yes, you were my sin. My love for you darkened me and my heart. But I learnt never to entrust that part of me to anyone ever again. So for that I do thank you," she speaks in a soft voice, her entire face emotionless, before walking away from the man that was once her lover.

* * *

The atmosphere on The Dutchman is loaded for days afterwards, but Davy and Thé took Regina's words to heart and managed to find a way to quicken their pace. It takes them only another few days to reach the Sea of Stars. When they do Thé brings all the Storybrooke group up on to the main deck and takes delight in seeing the look of awe on their faces. The sight of the ship carving a path through still water that easily reflects the ebony sky above washes away all their irritation and annoyances that have built up in the week and a half since they entered The Locker.

"Here in the Sea of Stars it is always night," murmurs Mr Branigan in a calming ethereal tone, so unlike his usual brusque one. "And should you see a star from above shooting across the sky in the sea, make a wish for it **will** come true."

Emma sighs in contentment - the first she's felt in far too long - as she gazes down into the still water beneath them. She leans on the railing of the ship, her arms supporting her head, as she watches the inky sky; the black swirling with the blue - both dark and light - and the subtle hint of royal purple. The stars, so high above them, twinkle like diamonds and seem so close that she could simply reach out and touch one of them. The idyllic view is a real treat that seems to ease the very soul of a person.

"It has wondrous healing properties on a person," Davy tells her when he joins her. "It helps you forget your pain without forgetting the reason for it."

"Who is Aethyia?"

Davy flinches but replies nonetheless. "Zeus' mortal daughter."

"From what I recall of what I learned about him, he had a lot of those," smirks Emma.

"Very true. But Aethyia was the one that Thé accepted as her half-sister. She loved the lass very deeply. Aethyia was also Megara's half-sister on her mother's side," adds Davy, his gaze flickering to where Thé was standing watching Megara - dressed in leather trousers and a billowy white blouse (that flutters in the slight breeze) and a corset of red ocher and black - stare peacefully out across the Sea of Stars. "Megara looks very like Aethyia, just she had Zeus' eyes like Athena does."

"The silver or the hazel?"

"Both. She **was** a demi-god after all."

"How is it she knows Killian?"

Davy's open face shutters closed at her query and he gives Emma only a slight bow before taking his leave of her.

"Maelstrom, Cap'n!" Smythe calls down excitedly, breaking the momentary tranquility.

"Into the abyss we go," grins Davy manically as he races to the helm and steers The Dutchman straight into the whirling maelstrom to the angered and fearful shouts of many of the Storybrooke group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** Happy New Year Everyone! I hope you all had a good Christmas and enjoyed celebrating New Year (I slept through the latter as my sleep is well and truly fucked up right now, hence the wait for this chapter). Again this chapter ended up going much longer than planned so I'm splitting it in two but will post both chapters today. The next one I'll post later on tonight.
> 
> In regards to the three film series I referenced/quoted in the last chapter (which no one managed to get all three) they were: Pirates of the Caribbean (I got a lot of the commands Davy gave his crew from PotC); Harry Potter (Basilisk); Avengers Assemble (probably the hardest of the bunch to find: "The Captain here made a decision, but given that it's a stupid-ass decision" is my referencing Director Fury's fantastic quote: "I recognise the council has made a decision, but given that it's a stupid-ass decision, I've elected to ignore it.")
> 
> Would you like to give me a gift of a review? Can also be a belated birthday/Christmas present. Yes, I know, I'm shameless. Thanks for reading!


	8. Part 8

**Part 8**

"Were they real?" questions Killian, his face pale from his recent encounter at the edge of Tartarus that he had run from and then ended up being bodily dragged by Hades back to the god's home.

"Yes. The opening of Tartarus holds a special magic. The white-blue effervescent light you saw is a curse placed upon the entrance to beguile any mortal that passes by it. The souls within the pit linked to the mortal are pulled from it and given form. For you they retained their ghostly appearance; for other mortals that have sought entrance to my domain, the souls once more take their previous live form," explains Hades patiently.

"You call it a curse, because of the pain it brings to see your loved ones as such?"

Hades' lips twist into a cruel smile. "Hardly. It is a curse because if you linger with the souls of your dead you'll begin to feel a pull that makes you step forward. Many a mortal have we watched walk into Tartarus and be lost to the pit and all it entails forever without them ever knowing or realising they were tricked into it, led to their deaths by those they held dear."

"Like bloody sirens," comments Killian bitterly, making Hades laugh in agreement at the comparison. "What of...my brother, Liam didn't appear," Killian states, clenching his jaw and his hand at the memory of his brother.

""Because his was a light soul. He held no hatred, or anger, or darkness within him when he passed too soon. He had regrets but such an emotion is acceptable, especially in one taken before his time. Your brother rests eternally in Elysium."

"But then why is Milah in Tartarus? Surely she too should reside in Elysium. And Baelfire, or rather Neal?"

"Neal cared naught for the consequences resurrecting his 'Papa' would wrought. The payment for such magic was not simply his life, but also his very soul. It would not matter even if prior to his death he'd committed an act of true bravery or heroism. He was marked by the doorway, scarred both physically and spiritually. As for Milah, she had darkness in her heart. She hated her husband. The darkness of her anger and disgust with Rumplestiltskin was to such a degree that she willingly fled with you, leaving her son alone and motherless. Her actions are what led to so many events taking place throughout these last few centuries in your realm. Without her abandonment of her son, Rumplestiltskin may never have become the Dark One. At the least Baelfire would not have been alone for so many years. You would not have but one hand. The curse may never have happened as Regina may never have turned into the Evil Queen. As a result your Miss Swan would have grown up as a Princess and with two loving parents."

"No!" growls Killian, his blue eyes flashing angrily at Hades. "I won't sit here and have you place all that blame on Milah's shoulders. We were in love!" he spits at the god.

"Not when she **first** ran from her husband. She simply craved adventure and you gave it to her. Love came after. But you mistake me, Hook," Hades tells him darkly, his entire face turning emotionless. "I place no blame on her shoulders. I'm merely pointing out that the darkness in her heart resulted in her not only spending an eternity in Tartarus, but also so many other things may not have occurred without that darkness. Without it you would not have even ever met the delightful 'Saviour'."

Killian frowns at the god's words and begins to pace, thinking it all over. Hades, meanwhile, leaves the ghostly form of the pirate to his wonderings and makes his way outside. With the arrival of Killian's soul the god hasn't spent as much time as he normally would on his duties as Lord of the Underworld. Feeling like the Captain needs his privacy to think, and won't do anything more idiotic than earlier, Hades straightens himself up and pulls on his more well known persona, the one that strikes fear into his guards and terror into all the souls gathered in the swirling pit. He avoids the main pit and makes his way to the less known area of the Underworld, the one where only the darkest and most dangerous of souls are locked away. He needs to let loose the anger building inside of him, and they are the perfect objects to unleash his fury upon.

 _What in all the gods' names was the blasted imbecile of a Captain thinking about by wandering right over to the damn pit?! Thé would see him disembowelled over and over again if he was to lose the man's soul now_ , rages Hades, his nostrils flaring being the only outward sign of his anger. The simple sight makes the towering chimeras - guarding the doorway of his favourite pets to play with (at least when he's in such a mood) - tremble with fear. The fur on the backs of their necks rise up as he passes between them; the air around him shimmering from the heat blazing around him, even though he keeps the flames that sometimes engulf him buried beneath his skin.

"Time to play," he grins darkly as the heavy stone doors close behind him, blocking all sound of screams and cries of pain and anguish and fear.

* * *

Left alone once more Killian begins to pace. Up and down, back and forth he goes. His footsteps soon form a path in the soft silt covering the ground, but the pirate continues on uncaring. He feels far too enclosed in this cave-like structure. Even outside of the god and goddess of the Underworld's home he doesn't feel that freedom he longs for, that his heart once beat for. The rough hewn stone walls feel almost like a cage built from the earth.

He longs for the freedom of the ocean, the tranquility of his ship. Simply stepping upon her well-scrubbed deck and feeling the slight to-ing and fro-ing of the docked ship could always bring him to such peace. Yes there were awful memories upon his dearly beloved Jolly; memories that tore at his heart, choked up his throat and brought tears to his piercing blue eyes. But she'd always been there for him, and all that they'd been through together helped him to relax and feel truly at home on the bobbing vessel. Though after being without The Jolly Roger for so long, he'd gotten used to living in a house; albeit he'd only taken a single room at Granny's but the bed and shower were quite divine, though he'd never dare tell his ship that! He'd been ready to put down some proper concrete roots in Storybrooke. All because of the other thing he missed. Emma.

He missed her to the very depths of his soul, and the longing he felt to see her face as well as the remembrance of all the things she used to do and had done with him had him dropping into the nearest chair: a straight-backed leather monstrosity that was hard beneath him, though he'd definitely sat on his fair share of far worse furniture over his many years. As he sits he ponders over everything about Emma, causing his hand to clench as he prays fervently that he gets back to her soon.

He misses how her eyes would crinkle ever so slightly at the corners when she really smiled. He reminisces on the love she had for her boy and their shared fondness for hot chocolate with cinnamon. He yearns to hear her laugh once more, to see her cheeky grin. He misses her humour, her strength, bravery and courage. Definitely one of the strongest lasses he's ever had the pleasure of meeting. Killian feels a deep-seeded need to hear the sound of his name - his _real_ name - on her lips, just once more. He longs to see the smile she'd have when she quoted something; or the crooked twist of her lips when he said something she liked; or how she'd gaze at him, eyes soft and filled with warmth. He yearns to once more hear her attempts at speaking with his accent and the quiet joy she'd get from teasing him that way.

He remembers the feel of her in his arms and how she'd looked so much at home in the Enchanted Forest when the two of them had ended up back in time. The jealousy that had spiked through him when she'd prepared to 'distract' his past self had confirmed what he'd already known for quite some time: he irrevocably loved Emma Swan. And then to see her as she should have been, as a princess at a beautiful ball he'd felt slightly unworthy of her. It'd taken some time before he could accept that she found him worthy of a chance, though he'd hidden behind bravado and pestered her some regarding it all. The way she slowly opened her heart to him and trusted him with it and it's safekeeping had brought him such tremendous joy. But nothing was quite like hearing her tell him "I love you", though the first time was much too heartbreaking to think on. It was all too close and much too soon after her sacrifice in order to save Regina. He remembers the bitterness when he thought she couldn't see a future with him, but every now and again his Swan surprised him and boy had he been stunned when she'd told him that she could see one.

Killian misses the heated gaze of her hooded eyes when they flirted, the feel of her hand in his, and how she felt in his arms. As he thinks of holding her, Killian reminisces about their many kisses. The soft sweet pecks; the leisurely kissing along with some mild groping; and the ones that left them panting, their breath intermingling. He swiftly brings his thoughts to a halt on what her lips pressed against his felt like; their tongues dancing a heady tune, the passion and lust and love that had roared to life between them and sometimes resulted in coitus. Sitting in Hades' lair - in his living room of all places - was neither the time nor the place to reminisce on their couplings and how their kisses imitated the lover's dance. His tongue darts out to run across his lower lip as he remembers how she looks in leather. He enjoys seeing her red leather jacket; an item as much a part of her as her soft silky blonde hair and mesmerising blue green eyes. But he also remembers how she'd looked wearing his newly purchased leather jacket after their First Date. To see her draped in his clothes had been surprisingly enticing; though at the time he'd blamed such thoughts on his left hand.

Killian turns his thoughts to what it had felt like when she'd seen through his nonchalance of telling her he traded the Jolly. How it had felt when she clearly understood what it meant for him to give her his brother's ring. Just like she was an open book to him, she could read him just as easily. , her ability to see through him and how she bested him so many times,

He remembers her childlike excitement when she was first learning about how to work her magic, though at the time he was in a frightful mood and couldn't enjoy her glee in that moment. After being the Dark One he doubts she'll ever show such emotion again when performing her magic. The knowledge and magic they held had made all the magic she'd learnt and done up until then seem like simple tricks or sleight of hand.

The faith she had in him, from so early on in his 'transformation' from villian to hero, continues to astound him. The woman - who had once had such difficulties believing in magic in order to break the curse the Evil Queen had set upon the Enchanted Forest - was able to fill her heart with faith that he would do the right thing. She had trusted him.

_Had._

The memory of her lack of trust once she'd tethered Killian to Excalibur sends spikes of anguishing pain through him. She'd continued not to trust him, up until that last moment by the lake in Storybrooke when it was all too late. The thought that _if she didn't truly trust him, how could he be sure she truly loved him_ flits around inside Killian's head. He jumps to his feet, intent on exerting his rage on the inanimate objects surrounding him. It continues to build until it feels like it has it's own pulse throbbing away inside of him. He launches the coffee table away, the mahogany wood smashing to smithereens as it slams into the rough cave walls. He raises his hook, ready to shatter the large vase from the Orient but is thrown unseeingly into the wall behind him. Killian cries out in pain as the jagged rock jags into him, though thankfully doesn't pierce through his leather jacket or draw blood.

Hades roars in his face, flames igniting and surrounding the incensed and wrathful deity. The god's eyes swirl much more than usual, making Killian feel seasick - something he hasn't felt since he was but a lad - and forcing the pirate to avert his gaze from the man fuming at the destruction to his property. It takes a while but Hades finally calms himself when Meli approaches and presses a single dark blue tulip into his hand.

Hades waits until his beautiful blonde wife takes their daughter into her room (one of only three rooms in the house with a door; the other two being their own bedroom and the bathroom) before finally (calmly) telling the dark-haired pirate, "She does love you. And you love her. _That's_ what's important. All the rest can be helped with some hard work, if you're willing. The two of you can pull through this. Trust me, I know."

"You mean you've seen it?"

"No, I've lived it with Persephone," he mutters before taking a seat and gesturing for the pirate to do the same. "I loved her from afar but I never thought she'd see me. I didn't even think she noticed me beyond being 'Zeus' other brother that was the freak that tended to the evil souls'. Not something you want a woman you're besotted with to really think about you. And I was much older than her, though for us gods and goddesses such a detail matters little. My own self-loathing and lack of confidence in who I was led to me kidnapping her and holding her captive in Tartarus."

"Tartarus?" asks Killian, his eyes widening.

"It meant we'd be alone and her busybody of a mother couldn't easily get her back. Time passed and we returned to up here. I could not stand what the evil of some of those beasts in the pit were doing to her, and so I began building this home for her out of the rock. But during that time her betrothed rescued her on Demeter's orders.

"She told me then that she loved me and that it was **me** she wanted to take as her husband, her lover, her best friend. But I didn't believe her. I blamed it on Stockholm Syndrome and so let her slip through my fingers and so Hermes took her from her and returned her to Olympus with the intention of marrying her. It took months for me to pull myself out of my depression and pity. Constantly I awaited with bated breath for news that she'd married, but word never came. As a result, nearly a year later, I journeyed to Olympus and made public advances towards her, wooing her. But she told me to forget it all and to simply take her home, after we married.

"Why do you think only now have we had a child? Love can be easy sometimes yes, but to keep a relationship working well is just like steering a ship across the sea. Every now and again you need to make a course correction. You have to work for it in order to get to your destination. Don't forget that she truly loves you, pirate. She loves all that you are, and accepts all that you once were. There's not many women in any of the realms willing to overlook a man's dark past. I have my own light, my own _Saviour_ as you will," says Hades with a twist of his lips. "Seph saved me from the dark. Emma saved you. Don't let your mistakes tear her from you and you from her; both you and Emma have made some heady ones and you just need to find a way to work through them and repair what was hurt and broken."

Killian nods, staring unseeingly at the cave walls surrounding them.

"Now that I've played my part as marriage counsellor, I'm off to check in with my lovely wife and daughter. Meli's been bugging Seph to take her to see the tulips in Amsterdam in Emma's realm for a while now. I can trust you not to have any further hissy fits or acts of stupidity, right?"

Killian merely glares in reply.


	9. Part 9

**Part 9**

" _Two little sailor boys sailing out to sea,_

_One hauntingly eerie isle shall claim the life of thee._

_One little sailor boy crying to the gods:_

" _Justice shall be done. To hell with these royal sods!"_

_No more little sailor boys left aboard the tall ship._

_A pirate is he, his sole company a flask of rum to sip._

_Garments of black, a swish of silver; revenge in his heart thrumming like the wings of a dove._

_T'will come to naught for the Saviour will thwart him, and so begins their trek of true love._

_One little sailor boy, taken before his time, shall finally be at rest_

_When his little brother's heart beats and feels love beneath his breast_ ," murmurs Thé softly as they slowly drift along the wide gully they had plunged into after passing through the centre of the maelstrom.

"What is that?" frowns Emma from at the purple and green haired woman's side.

"A tale the Fates weaved long long ago. I hadn't the heart to tell Killian of it before. Being here surrounded by the ethereal light of the Underworld reminded me of it," she sighs in reply before shaking off the maudlin that had suddenly overcome her. "Why aren't you taking the left hand pass, Davy?" frowns Thé upon seeing the ship continue their course and not leading off to join the River Styx.

"That's 'Captain'," grits Davy. "It's much harder to traverse the waters of the River Styx. You know Charon enchanted them so."

"Yes but you know what happens when you come this scenic way with mortals!" she complains.

"Bugger and damnation," the dark-haired Captain swears in realisation before grumbling about it being far too long since he last had to make such considerations.

"What was that?" questions Thé, a slight smirk twisting her lips.

The Captain bites back the retort he'd like to give her and settles for dismissing the issue altogether, "It's too late to turn back now. You would do well to warn your new friends. We'll be coming alongside the Pit shortly."

"Warn us about what?" asks Regina, a shiver of foreboding tensing the Storybrooke group who are all gathered upon the main deck of The Dutchman so as to get a good look at the Underworld.

"Regina, sweetheart," croons a female voice.

Regina backs away in fear, clutching tight to Robin's hand, as where the disembodied voice had been heard a flickering pale shape manifests. All of the group immediately take a step back as Cora's ghostly form appears before them.

"What is this new terror?" Robin calls across the ship to Thé who remains unmoved from her position.

Thé answers, her tone of voice pained as she explains the phenomenon occurring, "Mortal souls link to the living that they had a connection to, and so as we traipse past the Pit their souls are pulled from it and given this ghostly guise. They cannot harm you. And you cannot touch them or be touched in return," she warns as a gruff male voice suddenly speaks, thoroughly shocking all of the Storybrooke residents.

"Papa," greets Neal. "Emma. It's good to see you both," the young man tries to smile.

"Bae, what? How can you...why are you in the Pit?" stutters Rumple, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"My selfish action of bringing you back to life so that I could find a way to get back to Emma and Henry resulted in me ending up here in Tartarus."

"No! There has to be some other way. We're here to get Killian. We can bring you back too," announces Emma.

"It doesn't work quite like that, Emma. Killian's final act was a selfless one, and it is for that reason the Fates will allow him life once more. Even Hades' powers are bound by rules," Thé tries to explain to the Saviour gently.

"So was Neal's. He died so that we could have Gold to help us against Zelena."

"But had Neal never resurrected his father in the first place, there'd have been no need for him to do so to begin with. His death was set in stone, Fated, from the moment he turned the key to the Dark One's lair."

"It's fine, Emma. Honestly. It's like I'm doing a prison sentence for the one I got _you_ arrested for."

"But this is for eternity," snaps Rumple.

"Not so, Rumple," calls out a melodic voice that freezes Rumplestiltskin where he stands; his dark eyes ice over as the brunette sways across the deck to stand by their son.

"Milah," his lips twist as he spits out her name.

"Hades has promised us both that with good behaviour we could go on to Elysium some day."

"Mere platitudes that you seem happy to simper over. As I recall you were never the type to care for such things, or was it only mine you did not care for?"

"You were a weak man. A coward. The gossip mongers in our village whispered and jeered everywhere we went. I couldn't handle it any longer," states Milah dourly.

"And there I thought it was simply you lusted after the pirate like a cat in heat."

"Rumple!" "Papa!" echo Belle and Neal respectively in a chiding tone.

"She left us, Bae. For _him_!"

"I know that, Papa. But in my time here I've learnt to forgive her."

"So you're the one that took my crown," sneers a voice as another man appears before the Charmings.

"Oh now that is just too strange," murmurs Snow, her gaze darting from her husband to his twin glaring at them, sizing David up and obviously finding him wanting.

"How you and I could ever be thought to be related I do not know."

"Funny I've thought the same over the years, especially during the times I was expected to carry on the persona of you James."

"You look down your nose at me, shepherd?" laughs James mockingly.

"Well you're the one stuck in Tartarus. Meanwhile I have a beautiful wife, two lovely children, a grandson, and your crown."

Anger twists James' face before he stomps away from the shepherd and his 'princess'. The Charmings also dismiss him and turn to give their daughter support as she talks with Neal. Belle stands by Gold's side, providing him with some comfort and support at such a trying time. She had believed she had needed to protect her heart from him, but actually seeing the physical embodiment of their love had put things into perspective. Whilst she wouldn't let herself be blinded by his faults and actions again, Belle was considering what it would be to let her heart once again make the decision. Rumple gave Emma and Neal some time alone to speak and chose that time to finally have a proper conversation with his first wife, without an audience. Belle could see that they only brought out the worst in each other, but turned away to give them some privacy and to take her chance seeking Neal's opinion on the matter of his father.

"It's easy to fall into that dark path, Belle. So much the easier for my father because of all he's done in the past. You're no longer blinded by your love for him, and that's enough. Be the strong woman I know you to be and call him out on things he does that you don't agree with. But love him Belle. He needs you," Neal gives her a gentle smile before turning to chat with Rumple again.

"Hello Mother, I'm Zelena," simpers the Wicked Witch, attempting to gain Cora's attention away from her silent disapproving observation of Regina.

"Zelena who?" stares Cora blankly.

"Your daughter. Your first-born," answers the redhead, softly smiling at the older woman.

"I have other matters to deal with, child. Do not bother me with petty things. Now Regina I think we need to have a discussion again regarding giving your heart away so willy nilly."

"'Petty things'?" interrupts Zelena, a glint of green shimmering across her face before the magic of the Underworld dissipates it. "You abandoned me. **I** should have been the one to become Queen. **I'm** the more proficient one at magic," she sneers.

"Don't be prideful, dear. It's not a very pretty emotion. And you really should sneer so, you'll get wrinkles. But you can't be my daughter. I left my first-born in a forest."

"Yes and a cyclone picked me up and blew me to Oz."

"Well that certainly wasn't my intention. You were never meant to have been. You should have died in that forest," comments Cora dismissively. "Now Regina, really? He's hardly much better than the stable boy, and you do remember how that ended."

Regina's eyes flash in remembered pain, but Robin's reassuring embrace gives her strength to stand up to her mother. "I should thank you for that. Without you killing Daniel I'd have simply languished in the Enchanted Forest until I died. Because of you I found where I belong. I found true love, and the love of a child."

"True love, pah," Cora delicately snorts. "Those are not the things you should aim for, Regina. I tried to teach you. Power is what matters most."

"And because of love I can now use light magic; something that your bitter and shrivelled heart will never know or understand. I told you you were the lucky one not to have her as your mother. Believe me now?" she turns to Zelena, dismissing her mother.

"You **do not** turn your back on me!" yells Cora.

"Enough Cora. You have no power here," rebukes Gold; the witch's shout having interrupted his, Belle's and Emma's reunion with Baelfire.

"And I'm not the only one. All the souls are talking about how the Dark Ones got free and now are no more. They were trapped, caged away in the darkest part of Tartarus," at this she jerks her head to the huge heavy doors that seem almost engraved into the stone wall and the stiff guards standing on either side. "Every day they'd be mercilessly tortured by the guardians of Tartarus. Inside the Pit you can hear their screams. That's what you're sending your precious son back to," she smiles with a glint in her eye.

"Run her light and douse canvas," calls out Davy Jones, interrupting the tense hush that has descended upon the ship.

"It's not so bad, Papa. Truly."

"No, I won't lose you. Not again."

A swirl of bright blue smoke with a flash of lightning in it's centre appears on the harbour the ship now sits docked at. From within the lithe form of the brunette god appears, his eerie eyes narrowing as he glares at all the puny mortals stood upon The Dutchman. Power fills the air, so heavy and heady it almost obstructs their ability to breathe. Flames ignite and surround his form, the blue flickerings dancing irately at the intrusion. The heat that blasts them all makes them wince. Thé rolls her eyes at the performance, the one her uncle likes to call his magnificently terrifying entrance.

"Mr Diva extinguish the flames already. They're all appropriately wowed by your splendour," she calls out to him sarcastically.

"Oh it's you. Seph said to expect you, but never thought you'd actually come. Also wasn't aware you were dragging this lot with you. Plus it's never a bad thing to effectively scare a few mortals. I do rarely get to have such fun whilst they're still breathing," sighs Hades woefully.

"Hades, Lord of the Underworld, greetings!" calls out Prince David, giving the god a courtly bow. "We have come seeking Killian's soul."

"Such courage," murmurs Hades, throwing a smirk his niece's way.

"Hades isn't one for such pomp and ceremony," Thé tells them dryly.

"Where is Killian? We have his body and we want you to return his soul to it," pipes up Emma as she whirls her hands intending to bring his stretcher above deck.

"That won't work. Only the magic of the gods works here in my domain. As to your 'quest', I figured that was the reason for this rude intrusion into my home when I saw my darling niece in the flesh for the first time in 150 years," Hades replies with a glare thrown at Athena.

"I watched you all in the Seeing Pools in Athens every five years or so for the last hundred years of that realm's time."

"That still leaves fifty years of your life...our lives unaccounted for where you went gallivanting off in the Enchanted Forest," shouts Hades before gritting his teeth. "I'm trying to be understanding of what you went through. Our family is crazy. And a mess. Pure and simple. You always knew that. You were meant to get over your fascination with the mortals and return to us. But you didn't and this is how life turned out."

"So I'm to blame for Aethyia?" cries Thé, her voice breaking on her sister's name.

Hades groans. "That isn't what I meant. I meant...it's good to see you. I, uh, I missed you," he manages to spit out before awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck and sighing. "Well you might as well all come through. Crumpets should be done in a jiffy. Except you lot," he gestures to the souls and with a flick of his hand their forms begin to shimmer and dissipate.

The swarthy skinned man gestures for them to make their way across the gangway. The crew, and Davy Jones, remain upon The Dutchman. Emma looks back in the direction of the Captain's cabin but before she can ask about the stretcher Hades crooks his finger and the stretcher bearing Killian's body suddenly appears at his side on the stony harbour. David flinches back when his eyes catch the swirl of silver spinning around the god's white irises but finds his courage to accompany his wife and follow after Thé. The small group cautiously make their way along the rocky path; the eerie white blue fog that curls around the ceiling on the entire space the only source of light, and a poor one at that for mortals' eyes.

"How is it that we stumble but you two seemingly glide?" complains Zelena. "And why am I being dragged along for this. Surely you could have left me on the ship."

"To answer your first question: our eyes are not like yours. This light is made so that mortals like yourselves find it difficult to traverse my realm," Hades pauses to shoot a grimacing smile at the magic-bound witch.

"As to your other: I don't trust you. Even with the bridle bound to your wrist and binding your magic."

"By the by, what on Gaia are you wearing, dearest niece?" blurts Hades, having finally taken note of her 'garments' - a tight electric blue dress with slits in the sides and a sweetheart neckline that reaches mid-thigh, matching suede six-inch pumps, a cropped black leather jacket with three-quarter length sleeves, and a pair of hold-up style tights with skull designs on them.

"It's all the range on that world. Don't you like it?" Thé flutters her eyelashes and twirls.

"I can see that considering the bookworm is wearing a similar dress and heels, and Emma is wearing a similar jacket. But why not at least a looser fitting dress like the dark-haired one or the mothering look that one is going for. I barely recognise you like this," the curly brown haired god frowns down at his niece.

"You really should learn people's names Hades."

"I remembered the important one," he retorts making Thé laugh.

"Just to keep you happy," she pouts slightly before raising her arms up and shutting her eyes.

Unlike when mortals use magic to change their clothing, Thé does not become enveloped in coloured smoke. Instead a brilliant glow radiates from inside of her until the golden light becomes too bright for even the strongest of the gods to bear looking upon it. When the light dies down Thé is revealed wearing an amaranthine chiton with exquisite golden embroidery and Gladiator sandals upon her feet.

"Better?" she asks, her sarcastic reply having little bite to it.

"Much," nods her uncle before continuing on as if they hadn't stopped, the others following along and glancing around as the water running alongside them turns to lava.

"We're following the leader, the leader, the leader, following the leader wherever he may go," croons Thé softly as they traipse over the stone bridge linking the island Hades' home is situated with the rest of the Underworld.

Hades' lips twitch at his niece's humour. "Meli's made him watch _Peter Pan_ , you know?"

"Dammit, now he'll know what I'm talking about! Melinoe needs to learn how fun it is making fun of people at their own expense," Thé tells her uncle seriously making him chuckle.

"I wanted to see how he'd react to the perm and waxed moustache," adds Emma, her hand clutching Killian's as Hades' magic floats the stretcher alongside her, making most of the group laugh at how they can imagine Killian would react to how 'Hook' was thought of.

The group start to slow as they take in the large round dome upon the island but quickly follow after Hades and Thé as the two enter through the heavy oak door. All their eyes widen as they take in the homey feel of the open plan main area. Snow and Charming are shocked by the comfortable seats dotted around the living area, the carved stone bench and counters in the kitchen, and the solid oak dining table and chairs all set up. Rumplestiltskin looks intrigued by the chasm of lava circling the edge of the wall enclosing the living area. Regina's nose leads her into the kitchen to find the unusual and unorthodox cooking method Hades is applying in his home: a cast iron skillet on a winch lowered over a deep pool of magma.

"Crafting things is my hobby," Hades proudly explains to the Charmings. "That stream of lava heats the entire house to an optimum temperature. It can get a bit chilly out in Tartarus and it's nice to have a blazing heat to come home to."

"I thought Tartarus was an equivalent of the Christian hell. Isn't it supposed to be hot and full of flames?" comments Belle.

"Ah but it is. Just freezing cold flames. Much more unpleasant. Trust me," the god grimaces. "As to my kitchen -" he begins to explain to Regina but Thé interrupts him with a shriek of protest.

"You didn't?!" gasps Thé in shock as she looks at the painting hanging on the cave wall of the dining area. "You stole the painting of the fallen Madonna with the big boobies!" she exclaims.

"What of it?" dismisses Hades, even as his cheeks flush. "It's an old favourite," he justifies, turning on his heel to fetch down his floral apron and returning to the scones he has baking over his lava pit. "Here, you have to try these. Um...what's her name?" Hades suddenly turns to Thé and asks in a stage whisper.

"Regina," replies Thé, managing (barely) to keep her face straight at the look of outrage plastered across the queen's face.

"Right, Regina. I knew that. That cupboard is a type of ice box. Fetch out the clotted cream and strawberry jam. You won't regret this," he tells them all with an anticipatory grin.

'Fetch' mouths Regina, yet she does as requested (not wanting to be on that particular god's bad side, even with his apparent favourite niece on their side). She, Robin, Snow, Belle and Rumple all try one of his scones slathered in jam and cream. After finishing the first sumptuous bite Regina immediately begins to quiz the supposedly terrifying god on his recipe...because they really are **that** good.

"It's all in the slight roasting process when you cook it. You'd be amazed at the flavour you get from a lava pit. Best thing to cook over it though is soup in a big old cauldron. My favourite is lamb...I should have that recipe somewhere around abouts...ah, here you go! Lamb, barley, winter vegetables and sage. Delicious!" he excitedly tells the queen, smacking his lips in remembrance of the taste.

"I don't mean to butt in, but we're here for a reason Regina. Where's Killian?" asks Emma in a direct tone, her gaze fixed stoically on Hades' swirling eyes.

"I'm right here love," Killian calls out and they all turn to see him exiting one of the enclosed rooms, a curly blonde haired toddler perched on his side.

"Killian," gasps out Emma in a low voice as tears prick her eyes and she rushes to reach out to him but her hand goes straight through his shoulder and lands on the little girl who's staring up at her with hypnotising silvery eyes.

"Like with the souls earlier, mortals can't touch him or be touched," explains Thé in a quiet voice.

"Ath!" squeals the little girl delightedly, recognising the young woman who she'd seen when Thé last scryed for her Mummy and Daddy.

"Hello Melinoe. Looks like you got a new member for your crew, Captain Jones," grins Thé.

"Young Meli would be a credit to me if she were," winks the handsome Captain before turning more serious, a slight sheen in his pale blue eyes seen even though he is but an apparition. "It's good to see you again, Emma."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** A thousand and one apologies for how long this took to write and get up. Sadly haven't been having too many good days physically or mentally. I hope though that you enjoyed it; it's the longest chapter yet! Thanks for anyone that's still sticking with me. Hopefully the wait for the next chapter won't be just as long.
> 
> The rhyme at the beginning is one of my own creation that randomly popped into my brain this morning. I think it's because I was thinking of the 'Ten Little Soldier Boys' rhyme from And Then There Were None. Brilliant three-part drama on BBC.
> 
> The painting I mention is a reference to one of my favourite oldie shows 'Allo! 'Allo! It's fantastic. And I just have this image of Hades torturing Hitler and Himmler, etcetera (who are chained within the deepest darkest part of Tartarus) with episodes of it and giggling away to himself at the ridiculousness of some of the things that happen and the many jokes.


	10. Part 10

**Part 10**

"Gimme," demands Thé before lifting Melinoe out of his arms. "I'm gonna eat you," she tells the toddler in a sing-songy voice before lifting her up pretending to gobble on her tummy.

"That's never happened before," comments Hades as a spark shoots out of the nearby stream of lava with each giggle Meli emits.

"Num num num. Mmm, Melinoe tastes _real_ good," Thé continues to play with the child, ignoring how flames rise up atop the lava and begin to form shapes of fantastical creatures when Melinoe dissolves into uncontrollable laughter.

"You're really good with her," states Killian with a soft smile.

Thé looks up at the pirate and gives him a small, somewhat agonised, smile in return. Seph breaks up the painful moment by entering the room, her long curly blonde hair still wet from her recent bath. Immediately Melinoe tugs around and demands in childish babbles for her mother to take her. Thé gasps with mock hurt at the blonde cherub in her arms choosing her Mama over her Aunt.

"Still love you Aunt Fena," Meli tells Thé in a serious voice once in her mother's arms again.

"Of course you do. I am awesome. And your daughter Seph? Going to be a rather amazing naturist when she's older."

"Her laughs made the fire transfigure," explains Hades before narrowing his eyes at Thé. "You were testing her."

"Better to know what the Fates have in store for her now. And living here in the Underworld means she's never been around any of the rest of the Olympians to make it show."

"We were planning a trip to see my Mum whilst she's in the realm without magic," interjects Seph. "She's old enough now to survive the travelling back and forth. Enough about us, you must be Emma Swan. It's a pleasure to finally meet you properly," she smiles and easily maneuvers her arms so she can hold Meli with one arm and shake Emma's hand with the other. "I of course met your parents, and Regina and Robin, briefly before you all set off on this trip. But it's good to show some manners to guests in our home."

"Something I much prefer when we don't have," grouses Hades.

"He only pretends to be such a grump," Seph tells them in a stage whisper. "I should get this little missy fed. Excuse me."

"Not what you expected for Queen of the Underworld?" grins Thé as she watches Belle and Emma stare after Seph.

"She seems...sweet."

"The sweetest of all the Olympians, Belle."

"Don't go all lovey dovey on me Uncle," sniggers Thé earning her a dark look from Hades. "Go be with your precious people. I know how much you love mealtimes," she shoos him. "We can wait."

"Are you sure we should? Shouldn't we be trying to get home already?" asks Emma quietly, her blue-green gaze darting every now and again to Killian's form.

"We have time," assures Thé. "And Henry with be absolutely fine, especially with Demeter in Storybrooke."

"Speaking of where is the lad? I'd have thought he'd jump at the opportunity to come on another adventure," asks Killian, looking around for Henry.

"Back home. Though if he were here I'm sure it'd have some code name, like Operation Resurrection or something."

"Oh no, it'd have to be something much more secretive. Can't have a code name if everyone can tell what the mission is from said name," grins Killian. "Young Henry would more than likely call it Operation Herring. It'll be good to see the lad again," he adds more sombrely.

Emma's breath hitches at the remembrance of how close Killian and her son had become; that she was not the only one that had lost something when Killian sacrificed himself.

"I've missed him too, but we thought it'd be too dangerous for him to tag along this time," explains Emma.

"Which was a good call considering the she-serpent we ended up getting attacked by," adds Regina.

"Not my fault!" calls out Thé childishly.

Killian's lips twist in a slight smirk and he raises an eyebrow at Thé's behaviour. "Really?" he asks disbelievingly.

"Our...guide was an idiot and took us via Echidna's waters. She sensed me and came after us. She has really taken what I said much too seriously. I mean, how was I supposed to know she'd take offense at me calling her latest creation a walrus?" justifies Thé.

"It's always fun with you around Thé," comments Killian, his eyes softening as he stares at the goddess reminiscing over their shared past.

Emma shuffles awkwardly and uncomfortably at Killian's side.

"Now that we have what we came here for, we'll just be going once we get Killian back in his body," announces David, breaking the awkward silence permeating the room.

Hades' eyes flash angrily and bright flames spark all around his body, easily melting the bowl of food he'd been helping Seph feed to Meli.

"Easy big guy," soothes Thé before moving to the counter, her deep purple-red chiton brushing along the cave floor and the gold embroidery glinting in the pale light coming from the ceiling of the Underworld.

Thé twirls one of her hands and a very old looking piece of papyrus appears in the other. She tightens her hold on it momentarily before tossing it to Hades. The lord of the Underworld's flames extinguish as he catches the rolled up parchment. Hades frowns in confusion as he uses a knife to break open the wax seal. His eyes flicker across the binding words on the papyrus. The brown-haired god's only reaction is the slightest twitch of his mouth before he looks up at his niece emotionlessly.

"All looks to be in order. Very well, the handsome Captain is free to return to his body."

The parchment disappears in a cloud of black smoke and Hades strides around the counter and back into the living area. He dry washes his hands before nodding significantly to Thé and kneeling on the ground beside Killian's lax body lying seemingly forgotten on the magical stretcher. A few murmured words and the enchantment around the gurney is broken.

"Killian, you need to be at his right side. Emma, can you hold Excalibur out above his body's sternum with the tip pointing upwards? Rumplestiltskin, if you could stand at Hades' left side. Then four of you will need to stand at North, South, East and West around them. When Hades' hands make contact with Killian and his murderer, you need to touch his body."

"I've never heard of such a spell," comments Regina suspiciously.

"It's not a spell. This is the Ritual of the Unjust Dead. Can only be carried out in the bowels of the Underworld, and by me. It's similar to a spell in that you need certain...ingredients: the soul, the body, the weapon used to kill the person, the murderer, and the touch of four other people present during his murder each standing at points of a compass," explains Seph quietly, her eyes not leaving her husband's figure as he quietly chants in a foreign tongue that only Seph, Thé, Melinoe and Killian can hear.

"Hence why I made it so you two could come," Thé tells Regina and Robin. "If everyone could get into position," the goddess with the brightly coloured hair prods them steely. "Ah, no. It can only be one of you Charmings," she adds when Snow and David move forward to take a spot around Killian's body. "And no weapons, please."

"Why?" frowns Emma as she pulls Excalibur from the leather scabbard at her waist.

"They share a heart," gasps Seph in shock, her eyes slowly turning back to piercing blue from a glittering, burning orange.

"I'll do it," says David before kissing Mary Margaret on the forehead.

The blonde prince withdraws his own sword from it's scabbard and hands it carefully over to his wife for safekeeping. His work boots crunch as he walks across the rough hewn ground to stand where Thé directs him as being North.

"Why I suggested you tag along too," Thé quietly tells Belle as she, Robin and Regina all take their own places.

As soon as the ethereal chanting Hades as still been humming stops his hands burst into smokey ice blue flames. He reaches out and grabs hold of Killian and Rumplestiltskin, both looking incredibly wary of being touched by the flames but relax when they feel a simple warmth passing through their entire body. David, Belle, Robin and Regina each bend forward and touch Killian's body. The fire surrounding Hades' hands suddenly implodes. It envelops all of Killian (both soul and body), all of Gold, and it begins to creep up the hands and arms of the other four. The glow of the flames becomes too much and all but Thé, Hades, Melinoe and Seph have to shut their eyes as the heat touches the blade that ended Killian Jones' life.

And then the light dissipates as if it had never been. It takes a moment for the black dots to fade from everyone's eyesight. But they all are quickly brought back to awareness by Emma's gasp and then the sound of a sword clattering to the floor. Emma takes no notice of everyone else and launches herself at the now-moving body of Killian slowly sitting up on the stretcher they all encircle. The pirate quickly wraps his arms around her, careful not to poke her with his hook even if her signature red leather jacket would protect her some from it. He breathes in the feel of her body against his; something he thought he'd never know ever again. His mussed black hair brushes against her cheek as he bends in close. Emma tightens her grip on him, silently promising to never let him go again.

"I love you," she murmurs quietly.

He pulls back a little and wipes away the tears she's begun to shed as he whispers consolingly, "It's alright, love. I'm okay. I love you too."

"It's good to have you back, Killian," Mary Margaret smiles brightly, her own eyes shining suspiciously as she hugs her husband.

"You were missed, my friend," smiles Robin as Killian clasps hands with the outlaw.

"Let's get you up," smiles Emma cheerfully as she pulls a stiff Killian out of the gurney and on to his slightly unsteady feet. "How do you feel?"

"Like I could use a drink," he jokes with a grin. "Ouch! What did I do to deserve such maltreatment?" grouses Killian after Thé comes up beside him and whacks him across the back of the head.

"You went and volunteered to be murdered, asshole! Don't do it again," the goddess retorts with a fiery glare.

"As you wish, milady," he replies with a courtly bow.

"You should avoid using that particular phrase with any lovely lass bar your own," states Thé, her eyes darting over to Emma.

"For what reason?"

"You haven't introduced him to The Princess Bride?" gasps Thé; her full attention lasered on Emma.

"We've been a little busy," Emma tries to explain adding hastily, when Thé folds her arms and stares the Saviour down, "and will be rectified as soon as possible."

"Great(!) He'll either be quoting Wesley or Montoyo constantly," grimaces Regina.

The light-hearted moment however is interrupted as a pink elephant blowing on a trumpet and carrying a thick dossier appears out of nowhere. Seph bites back a chuckle as Meli gets excited by the messenger and all the others look on with a mixture of shock, fright and confusion.

"Everybody else is seeing the pink pachyderm, right?" queries Mary Margaret, her eyes not leaving the unusual messenger who suddenly disappears with the sound of a popped bubble.

"A new soul has appeared in the Underworld. That's Elmer; one of Hades' messengers to inform him of the comings and goings of Tartarus," explains Seph.

"Right, because a pink elephant that appears and disappears is just what the Underworld needs," replies Regina sarcastically.

"Charon used to do it but he scared Meli. So Hades created the pink elephants."

"As you do," adds Emma, shaking her head at what her life has actually become.

Hades mutterings as he reads through the dossier grows loud enough to disturb any further conversation on the subject of pink elephants.

"It's fuck, marry, **or** kill, brother. Not **and** ," Hades glares up at the ceiling as if he could see through it right up to Mount Olympus and grumbles, "Idiot! When will Zeus learn."

"You're such a tit if you think he _can_ ," laughs Thé.

"Hades!" cries out a strong masculine voice before a tall muscular golden-skinned man rushes through the door.

"Herc!" greets Melinoe happily, bouncing in her mother's arms with a gigantic grin.

"Killian, you're solid…" gasps the newcomer as his amber eyes stare at the pirate.

"Aye lad, that I am. You alright, mate?"

"Yes, why did you come storming into my house without an invitation? And shouldn't you be feeding Cerberus around this time?" scowls Hades.

"I just came from feeding him. I was walking back and there was a ship at the docks. I stopped to chat with Charon and it was then that I saw her," sighs the man dreamily.

"'Her', Hercules?" smiles Seph.

"The most beautiful creature I've ever beheld. A brunette damsel who's not afraid to chip her nails and get a little dirty."

"And sweaty mayhaps," jokes Killian.

"I would thank you not to be so crude regarding the lady, Captain Jones," replies Hercules steely.

Hades, Seph and Killian all react to the change in tone. Hercules has always been quite an easy-going fella. Sure he got angry and annoyed at times, but never to such an extent over a simple joke of Killian's. If he had the poker night they'd had the previous night would have gone to pot considering the amount of rum and whiskey all three men were consuming, and the comments and stories being passed back and forth.

"Hades, Lord of the Underworld," Hercules takes a knee and bends his head as he reverently pleads with the god. "I come before you to ask for my release from your service. I failed my test and as punishment you kept me within this place. I accepted that punishment, and I have found a sort of home here within the Underworld. But I feel like I must be near her, be with her. And I cannot be at her side if I am imprisoned within these walls. I will beg if that is what you require, but please...just release me from my bonds."

"Cerberus still has scars from what you did. Yes, you've certainly worked off my ire these last centuries. But that doesn't make your act of violence against my dog forgivable, nor does it make you deserving of leniency."

"Hades," interrupts Seph softly, her eyes glowing like the sun, "look at him."

"I am!" grunts Hades annoyed.

"With the power of the gods," she prods.

Hades sighs and does as his wife suggests. His entire body freezes when his eyes swirl and he sees the pale gold string attached to the centre of his chest and leading out behind him and in the direction of the docks. The Fates had spoken. In a moment of happenstance Hercules had found his love, the woman he was fated to be with before he was even conceived. And whilst neither loved each other yet, there is definitely mutual desire.

"Pale gold love line. Sign of a great love starting to blossom," smiles Seph broadly.

"Very well. You are free to leave," commands Hades in a pompous voice and with a wave of his hands the tattoos binding him to the Underworld begin to fade and completely disappear.

"You're such an old romantic," grins Thé in an aside to her uncle who glowers back at her.

"If he's allowed to leave then my son deserves a second chance also."

"It doesn't work that way, Rumplestiltskin," Persephone tells the older man calmly with a steely tone that seems to demand his compliance, but he does not listen to her non-verbal cues.

"Why not? The pirate is getting a second chance. Or more like a third," he sneers. "And he just gets to up and leave because he found _love_?" Gold spits furiously.

"Rumple I know you're angry, but getting upset won't solve anything. Surely there's something that can be done for Neal," tries Belle.

"Yes, if we can do something for him we have to try. Without him who knows what would have happened or what Zelena would have done," adds Mary Margaret compassionately.

"Oh yes. Blame it all on me," sniffs Zelena, her green eyes flashing dangerously at Snow. "He was the one that sacrificed himself willingly for his father, the idiot."

"Do not speak of my son in that way!" shouts Rumplestiltskin, his hand trembling slightly atop his cane.

"I'll speak of him however I wish. You're powerless now. You can do nothing."

"As are you. And I can assure you that if it's a life for a life that's needed, I'd have no issue taking yours to save my son."

"Rumple, you can't think that way!" Belle tells him off.

"He's my son, Belle. I don't want to think of him stuck in this place for eternity. You **must** do something for Bae!" Gold bellows Hades, making Melinoe begin to loudly cry.

"I must do _nothing_!" roars Hades, his voice reverberating and making the actual floor feel unstable. "Enough of all this petty squabbling. You've upset my child and pissed me off for the last time. **OUT! ALL OF YOU!** "

With that final scream the group find themselves wrapped up in a black smokey whirlwind that drops them mid-air, causing them to fall on to the main deck of The Flying Dutchman. All eleven fall in a heap on the well swabbed wooden floor. Groans and complaints rise up as they clamber back on to their feet.

"Thank you for that," glares Regina.

"You're blaming **me** for this, dearie?"

"Well you were the one antagonising him, Gold," adds Emma before turning to Killian as he straightens out beside her. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, love. Promise. It'll take a bit more than some transportation spell to do me harm," he grins before the happiness dies from his gaze and his eyes dart around the familiar ship in horror until they land on Thé standing out of the way from everyone else. "You had _him_ bring you here? What in seven hells is wrong with you Athena?! I thought you were my friend," he snarls. "How could you turn to that bastard for any kind of aid when it came to me? And don't you dare say you went to him because he is my father. He lost the right to call me that long ago."

"Your father?" gasps Mary Margaret in shock whilst understanding lights up Emma's eyes.

At that moment Davy Jones climbs up from below decks. His trousers are clean and well pressed. The stiff dark green jacket he sports is just as spotless; the silver stamped buttons gleaming even in the low pale light of the Underworld. Knee-high black leather boots are unscuffed and have obviously gone through a vigorous cleaning and polishing. His hair - the same shade as his youngest's and with the same curls his eldest had - has been carefully combed and no longer left to flop atop his head in disarray. His beard has even been trimmed and his hands scrubbed until there is barely a speck of dirt upon them. The Captain of The Dutchman momentarily fiddles with a couple of his buttons and yanks on the bottom of his jacket, uncomfortable at the fit and stiffness of the material he hasn't worn in a very long time. His shoulders stiffen and his back straightens as he purposefully strides towards the black clad pirate that is his youngest child.

"Good to have you back in the land of the living, son."

Killian's eyes narrow and his nose flares at the audacity of the man stood before him with his hand outstretched in front of him in greeting. In the blink of an eye he grasps his father with his hand and his hook, whirls them both about, and slams the swarthy-skinned Captain into the main mast of his own ship. Killian sneers at the man that he once knew as 'Father' and lifts his hook to dig into the dip of his throat.

"I am **not** your son," he shouts, his voice reverberating throughout the cave-like place that houses the Underworld and Tartarus.

He presses his hook ever deeper and a pearl of blood begins to appear beneath the metal appendage. A small darkly satisfied smirk plays upon the pirate's lips. The sight wrenches a terrified gasp from Emma as it reminds her of how he was when she made him a Dark One. The sound however does not permeate through the haze of red anger pulsing through Killian's entire body. The others aboard the ship - namely several crew members, Snow, David, Belle and Robin - rush forward to try to pull Killian away from the Captain of The Flying Dutchman, but an invisible barrier keeps them back.

"Why?" frowns Regina, immediately recognising the source of the magic and turning to narrow her eyes at Thé who seems to be the only one watching the scene before them much too calmly.

"They both need to have this confrontation out in the open. I'd really rather not have to be stuck on a ship for several weeks with that kind of tension boiling between the Jones men. They don't tend to be ones for rational thought when their blood gets worked up," explains Thé just as the sudden clash of steel against steel rends through the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** A thousand and one apologies for how long this took to write and get up. Sadly haven't been having too many good days physically or mentally. And I kept getting distracted by other things. I hope though that you enjoyed it. Thanks for anyone that's still sticking with me. Hopefully the wait for the next chapter won't be just as long. The inclusion of the pink elephant scene is because one of my friends was talking about Dumbo and got the scene/song stuck in my head.
> 
> In a very excited mood at the moment (and have been since almost deafening my brother with my screams at the weekend) because Colin O'Donoghue has been announced for Storybrooke! _Really_ can't wait for April now for both the Con and Outlander returns!


	11. Part 11

**Part 11**

Lunge. Evade. Thrust. Block. Jab. Parry. Slash. Miss.

Over and over again the steel of their swords clashed against one another. Their footwork was a thing of impeccable beauty as they danced across the wooden deck. Both father and son cared little for the spectators cut off from them by Thé's magic. Their only focus was on the other; watching for the slightest change that could win each man the fight. Emma flinched at a particularly loud twang as Davy managed to press the advantage; Killian only managing to keep his father's blade from cutting him by his quick reflexes with his hook. In a single move Killian swipes the hook across his father's blade and with his own sword lashes out at the elder Jones.

"I'm Hercules by the way. We never got properly introduced earlier," smiles the demi-god shyly as he sidles up to stand by the brunette who had caught his eye.

Megara's eyebrows rise with incredulity, her head swinging round to stare in amazement at the idiot in front of her.

"Do you have some form of mental affliction?! I hardly think that this is the right time for introductions. My Captain is in trouble. As his crew it's our duty to help him."

"I apologise for my timing. But please will you accept a gift from a humble man that thinks you to be most lovely," replies Hercules, gifting her a single white gardenia in perfect bloom. "If I can be of any assistance to such a fair damsel, please just ask."

Megara freezes momentarily, her hand trembling ever so slightly as she reaches out to take the beautiful flower. A soft smile pulls at her lips as she raises the flower to smell the heady fragrance. Her eyes flit back up to the newcomer, standing unsurely before her waiting for some sign or words in return. But before she can give a reply one of her fellow crew members tumbles backwards, taking several others down with him as easily as if they were pins.

Thé rolls her eyes and sighs, "Throwing yourself at it will hardly break down the dome."

Having enough of the brutality that slowly escalates before her - and with a glare thrown over her shoulder at an emotionless Thé (who has returned to observing the fight blankly) - Emma throws up her hands and calls upon her own power. It does not take as much power as she thought it would to break through the protective dome Thé had placed around the Jones boys, and so as an after-effect Emma's magic throws them both to the ground.

"Enough of this," she grits, her steely tone meaning she will use further force to bring their fight to an end.

"Why would you do this?" glares Killian, ignoring Emma as he focuses his rage on Thé as she nonchalantly leans against the side of the ship.

"I couldn't very well use Charon. I was very open with him Killian. He knew what our mission was here," she replies in a subdued voice.

"Ha! You were _open_ with me!" laughs Davy humorlessly. "You didn't tell me all the necessary details."

"Such as?" frowns Belle. "We told you the reason for our journey to the Underworld and why we had need to see Hades."

"But she left out the bit about those two being the daughters of that ruddy witch!" yells Davy, a vein beginning to throb at his temple due to his sudden onset of anger.

"Regina and Zelena being Cora's daughters wasn't something you needed to know. You just don't like any connection to any person whose been able to summon you through the realms. Get over yourself already. It wasn't _necessary_ for you to know of their relation, just like it wasn't _necessary_ for you to help save Aethyia!" thunders back Thé, her eyes swirling and the glittery stars in her eyes illuminating off the low luminescent lighting in the Underworld.

Davy flinches at the accusation, and even Killian looks shocked at the verbal blow Thé landed on his father. The pirate watches on as his father's visage darkens and he storms off in a huff to below deck, saying not a single word to anyone.

"Oh how mature," scoffs Thé before kindly turning to Mr Branigan. "Mind taking the helm, Mr Branigan. I don't want to trespass on my uncle's kindness longer than we should."

"Of course, my Lady."

"So...that's your father," comments David as they congregate around Killian.

"He helped create me, but he stopped being a father to me long ago," scorns Killian.

"So the pirate also has daddy issues. Whoopdedoo," sneers Zelena.

A flash appears around the redhead's wrist and in the mere blink of an eye the bridle binding her magic has disappeared from being wound around it to be wrapped around her head. Zelena emits muffled noises from behind the gag, her piercing green eyes glinting and glaring at Thé who stares bored back at the witch.

"I warned you."

"Guess we should add 'talking bad about the pirate' to this list of things that'll piss you off," observes Regina interestedly. "You're protective of him."

"I'm sorry you got sprung with Davy," apologises Thé, ignoring Regina. "I was planning on warning you, but then Hades got upset…"

"It's a bit of a shock," says Snow, her eyes darting from Killian to where his _father_ had disappeared below.

"I'd figured out there was some familial connection," adds Emma quietly.

"Am I that much like him?" asks Killian with a roll of his eyes and a saucy grin, attempting to hide his pain but his Swan can see right through the weak attempt.

"In some ways...all good."

"Emma's right, Killian. You and he are alike, but you're a far better man than he will ever be."

"I thought he was your paramour?" frowns Robin in confusion.

Killian winces at the query but Thé answers the outlaw in a deprecating tone of voice. "Long ago he was. He broke my heart though. And now I don't think I'll ever truly love anyone ever again. Not romantically anyway."

"You knew," adds Belle, turning to Rumplestiltskin who has remained quiet and mostly out of sight. "That's why you were acting the way you were around Captain Jones...or rather I suppose it's Captain Jones Senior," she says with a slight chuckle. "You stayed out of his way Rumple because you knew Killian was his son."

"He didn't need me as a reminder of what felled his son. My guilt, and my own self-preservation, kept me out of his way," says Gold, his dark eyes roving to land on Thé significantly.

"And it's what I threatened him with if he didn't behave on this trip."

Belle looks outraged on her husband's behalf at Thé's underhand tactics. She is shocked that the woman she'd been beginning to get along with could be so cruel with threatening to tell the Captain Jones Senior that Rumple had killed Killian, especially as she obviously knew how bad the consequences of such a sharing of the truth would have resulted in.

"It worked, didn't it?" says Thé shamelessly.

"Where are we going?" glowers David suspiciously as Mr Branigan steers the ship in a different direction than they'd come.

"Thought it best we avoid the Pit this time round. Don't want any of those spirit buggers popping out and being a hindrance again," calls out The Dutchman's First Mate.

The mention of the Pit hits Killian. The dark-haired, one-handed pirate sways slightly as he's hit with the emotional memory of when he'd been at the Pit. Before, when he was a mere soul, he hadn't realised but his emotions weren't nearly as strong as they'd been when he was corporeal...how they were now.

"Killian?" frets Emma when she notices his gaze go blank.

" _Hello, my love," she calls out to him sweetly._

_Killian stumbles back from the edge of Tartarus, his pale blue eyes widening in shock as Milah takes form before him. Her skin has an ethereal glow to it, though nowhere on par with the glow that emits from Hades' swarthy skin. Her long black curls swish as she walks towards him. He winces when he realises she's still clothed in the pirate garb she'd been wearing when the crocodile stole her life away._

" _Milah," he breathes, his hand trembling as he reaches out for her hesitantly. "This can't be real."_

" _It's me Killian," she smiles. "Hades placed a spell upon Tartarus when he first became lord of the Underworld. Any mortal that nears the mouth of the Pit causes any of their dead to rise out of it so they might speak."_

" _Why can I not touch you?" he frowns as his hand passes right through the sleeve of her gauzy black blouse._

" _Neither of us are corporeal, Killian. We're both dead. Finally you've come back to me," Milah tells him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Come into the pit, and we can be free together again."_

" _Killian," a gruffer voice calls out to him, breaking the entrancing moment the pirate was having with his first love._

" _Baelfire," utters Killian in shock. "How...why are you not in Elysium?"_

" _I have a debt to work off before Hades will permit me eternal rest there. Seems resurrecting my father has bigger consequences than dying."_

" _You think it odd my son is here, but not me?" questions Milah._

" _We didn't behave with the greatest honour. For some of our acts as pirates, we both deserve such a fate."_

" _You've changed."_

" _For the better," adds Neal. "But then Emma's like that with influencing people," he smiles in remembrance._

" _Neal, about Emma…" trails off Killian hesitantly._

" _She deserves happiness, and so long as you can give that to her I'm happy for you both."_

" _You talk as if he'll be with her again," scowls Milah._

" _He should be in the Pit with us, mother, but obviously Hades knows a rescue mission is on it's way."_

" _You're not staying," cries Milah, her face creasing in sadness and pain._

" _I'm sorry Milah, but no. If I have the chance to return, I'll take it."_

" _To be with_ _ **her**_ _. This Emma Swan," sneers Milah jealously._

_Killian moves to try and take the black-haired beauty into his arms but remembers he cannot touch her at the last minute. "I will always love you Milah. There's a place in my heart that you will forever hold. But Emma made me see that there was more to life than revenge and other dark emotions. By being who she is, and being around her, I discovered there was still more to life that I could explore, feel, and do."_

" _Enjoy every minute you have with her, Killian. And...take care of Henry for me," Neal manages to choke out in a pained voice. "I wish I could see him one last time to simply say goodbye, but if he's not managed to convince Ems that he can tag along will you tell him I love him?"_

" _Of course Neal," promises Killian, his tone sincere and compassionate._

" **Killian!** "

The loud shout pulls Killian from the morose goodbye he'd had with Milah and the man who'd played many roles in Killian's life - a surrogate son, an adversary for Emma, and a friend who he wishes he could have been there for at the very end. His thoughts continue to swirl on Tartarus, causing Emma to fret at his continued silence and the pained stare in his piercing blue eyes. She glances at her parents, a hopeful look upon her face that they would have the answer to help her. David hugs his daughter with a tender hand resting on the back of her head in his usual fatherly embrace.

"Go be with your pirate, Emma. He needs you right now. And you need him too. You both should have some privacy," David quietly tells her, leaving a quick peck atop her head.

Emma silently takes Killian's hand and gently tugs him along until they're enclosed in his father's cabin. A quick glance around tells Emma the Captain hasn't been by his rooms and isn't hiding there. Killian comes back to himself when she releases a sigh of relief.

"Sorry love, seems I drifted away there," smiles Killian, trying to sound nonchalant about what just happened.

"Killian, I'm here for you. Just as you once said it was your job to protect my heart, it's my job to protect your's too," Emma gives him a brilliant grin as she gently presses her hand against his chest.

Killian gives her a grin of his own as he reaches up to cradle her hand with his. The couple stand staring at one another, simply being with another and blocking out the feel of the ship moving along the current beneath their feet. Emma moves ever so slightly closer to Killian, but it's enough of a movement that Killian surges forwards pressing his lips to her's. Killian sighs at the feel of her lips. He thought he'd never feel this again. Love and desire floods his body as their lips and tongues move against one another. Finally when they break apart Emma's breathing is a little heavier and Killian's kohl-rimmed hooded, hungry eyes are staring at her as if she's the greatest thing in the world. But then his peripheral vision notices the heavy oak table bolted to the floor behind Emma, and everything comes crashing back in.

"You can talk to me about anything," prods Emma quietly, having noticed the sudden change in the pirate's demeanor. "But like before with the whole Ursula business, do it in your own time."

"Emma," languishes Killian. "There's just so much. My father, Thé, being here in the Underworld, and there's still the hurt of what you did to me. I can't help it, but you made me a Dark One. You didn't trust me which made everything so much worse. Dealing with their voices in my head. I could have handled it, managed through it perhaps if only I'd had you by my side and showing that faith you've had in me for so long," he bursts out, wincing in pain at the emotional toll he's feeling at the remembrance of it all, and what he must be inflicting upon Emma. "I love you with all my heart. That won't ever change, Emma. Hades made me realise though that our love is strong enough. We can get through it, but it'll take time for me to fully trust you again."

Tears gather in Emma's eyes as Killian moves away from her in an attempt to give her some space. Her hand automatically reaches out to cling onto the sleeve of his short leather jacket, halting him. Killian's blue gaze falls to Emma's own. Shock trembles through him as he sees complete understanding and acceptance in her eyes.

"I will show you I can be trustworthy again. It'll take time for me too. I know you were lashing back at me, but the things you said hurt more than I can say. Your words cut me to the quick. However it's like you said, our love is strong. We can be strong enough together to get through this. It'll just take time. Or at least that's what Thé thinks when I spoke to her about it all," smiles Emma with a roll of her eyes.

Killian chuckles. "Thé can be quite a character."

"She never told us how you two knew each other. I figured it was through your...through Davy when I guessed who he was," says Emma inquisitively gaining a rueful grin from Killian before he leads her to sit down at the table.

"We didn't meet under the most ordinary of circumstances. It was back at the beginning of my pirating days, shortly after Liam…" trails off Killian sadly. "Our crew had docked in some port or other and we were enjoying some libations in a local tavern when we heard the rumours of a goddess being imprisoned on a nearby isle. There'd been some attempts to launch a rescue mission, as the reward it would bring to have a goddess indebted to you would be a great one indeed. None however had managed it.

"My crew and I...well we weren't entirely sober," Killian rubs his ear and smiles softly at Emma who gives a small chuckle at his boyish embarrassment, "so we were being boastful and decided that we could pull it off. We got close to the isle when the calm sea turned into a raging storm. But thanks to the Jolly being made from enchanted wood, we made it through safely (and completely sober)!"

"And Thé was the goddess?" asks Emma, entranced by Killian's storytelling.

"Aye, love. Turns out she'd gone and fallen for a mortal. That would have been fine and completely acceptable, but she refused to return to Olympus and said she wanted to remain in the mortal realms. She was so much softer and not quite as outgoing back then. Being imprisoned by her half-brother Ares at their father's command. He enjoyed chaining her so that only one of her 'beloved mortals' might free her, but said mortals would never be able to cross the storms Poseidon would create to force them all away. She'd been lingering there for several years by the time my men and I freed her."

"And was she grateful?" Emma questions with a tilt of her head and a raised eyebrow.

Killian grins devilishly at Emma and pecks her on the lips. "No need to be jealous, love. It wasn't like that at all. Yes she's a beautiful woman, but she was never attracted to me in that way. In Olympus the gods had watched what happened when I first journeyed to Neverland with my brother," explains Killian darkly. "It was all a game to Ares; providing a sail of Pegasus feathers and betting to see if a war of great devastation would be wrought across the realms. Athena was the only one that saw Liam's death as a tragic and unnecessary loss. Even Persephone didn't see why Thé was so saddened by it, for we are but mortals in the shadows of gods."

"But Athena doesn't see us that way."

"No, and after meeting and falling for my _father_ ," says Killian distastefully, "she felt even stronger about the mortal race. In regards to her being grateful to my crew and I for being free, she gave us several chests of gold to dole out amongst ourselves. When we reached the nearest port for her to continue on her journey amongst us mortals, a cherub appeared bearing a message. As punishment for her leaving her prison Hera had taken some of Achlys flowers and used them to poison Thé's sister Aethyia."

"Why would Hera care about Thé being free?" frowns Emma in confusion.

Killian smiles bitterly, "She wouldn't, but Aethyia was a beloved mortal daughter of Zeus who he doted on more than many of his countless other offspring. Using Thé's freedom from the prison sentence imposed by Zeus as justification, Hera was free to hurt Aethyia."

"What did Thé do?"

"She hired us to take her to see her sister, in the hope she might save her. Her sister was still breathing when we arrived in the Eastern Kingdoms, but she had only a few agony-filled days left. Leaving Aethyia in my care Thé used her magic to transport her to this very ship. She'd heard through whispers and myths on our way to finding her sister that Poseidon had cursed Captain Davy Jones to pilot an ethereal ship that would take souls from this world into Purgatory to await sentencing. She went to him for help. If he'd accepted Aethyia as a crew member she'd have lived. She'd never have been able to get off The Dutchman, but she'd have been alive."

"He refused to help her?" asks Emma in shock, remembering the glances she caught the Captain giving Thé when the ex-goddess' attention was on something else.

"He wouldn't bring the wrath of the gods on himself, his crew or his ship again. He told her his loving her had cursed him, and so she was deserving of whatever fate the gods sent upon her. When she returned we helped her find a secluded grove, near to where Aethyia had grown up. In return Thé had a trinket crafter for me and burnished it with some of her own magic," continues Killian as he fiddles with the skull and dagger necklace. "It's what allows me to be able to control the enchanted wood The Jolly Roger is made out of and sail it on my ownsome."

"So it's that necklace that makes you a 'helluva Captain'," smirks Emma, impersonating his English intonation.

"Hardly, love," grins Killian.

"You were a hero back then."

Killian brushes off her compliment, uncomfortably shifting in his seat.

"It was the right thing to do. Just good form," he dismisses. "And in a way I got paid for it."

"Killian," says Emma meaningfully, her tone much more serious, "It was still a good and heroic thing to do. A gift, also, is not payment. What happened to Thé after that?"

"Her grief and anger made her run...after I helped her find a shaman who - for a price - gave her a mostly mortal life. She could feel, smell, and taste things the way a mortal can. But she'd remain impervious to our weapons and wouldn't age the way we do. She travelled around the realm and decades later, whilst on an excursion for Pan," says Killian repugnantly, "we bumped into one another once more. A night in the tavern and we got caught up with one another. She was upset by what the crocodile had done. Thé said that it would be a loss to the world if the last decent one of the Jones men were to die, and so she used her goddess powers to Mark me. Not entirely sure what it all means, just that Hades is made aware when a soul who has been Marked arrives in his purview and who Marked him or her."

"She really didn't need to give you such a compliment, your ego is big enough," teases Emma. "Thank you for telling me."

"Of course, love."

"Was it horrible staying in the Underworld for so long?"

"Hades and Persephone are very kind hosts. And Melinoe was an absolute treasure," Killian smiles softly, causing Emma's heart to thump a little faster in remembrance of how fitting the dashing pirate looked with a child in his arms. "But I did visit the edge of Tartarus once. I saw Milah and Neal. It was nice to see them both again but it wasn't a pleasant experience, as I reckon you gather from Rumplestiltskin's complaints to Hades earlier."

"Yes, Milah and Neal appeared to us on the ship. It seems that the river we were drifting down is close enough to the edge of the Pit that the ghosts latch on. Cora was there too, and my father's twin brother James. That was an eerie sight."

"Are you alright? Seeing Neal again," adds Killian at the confused look that appears on Emma's face at his question.

"Like you said, it was good to see him again but having to say goodbye again whilst not as painful as the first time wasn't a pleasant thing to go through. Speaking of unpleasant things, do you want to talk about...Davy," broaches Emma hesitantly.

"Not right now, love. I just want to hold you in my arms, if that's alright?"

"Fine by me," agrees Emma with a brilliant grin as they move closer to one another and she snuggles into his warm embrace.

* * *

A short while later and everyone aboard The Dutchman stops what they're down as a thunderous barking echoes off the walls of the Underworld and reverberates around them. Those up on deck all freeze and stare on in horror at the gigantic three-headed dog stand guard before the domed exit that has a black gauzy curtain draped over it. The veil of material swirls as the animal in front of it moves; the silvery stars of light embroidered into it dance hypnotically with the movement.

"This is bloody why I took the damn scenic route!" complains Davy as he climbs on to the main deck drawn by the monstrous growls.

"It's only Spot! He's definitely one of Hades' less scary pets," retorts Thé huffily.

"This is 'less scary'?" asks Robin as he prepares his bow.

"Hercules' Twelfth Labour," mutters Belle. "Surely you can defeat the Cerberus."

"I am sorry, but I failed that task. Why do you think I've been trapped here in the Underworld for so long?"

"This isn't the time for this discussion. Weapons at the ready! Mr Branigan, hard to starboard. See if you can swing round the beast and we'll attack it from the side," commands Davy gruffly as he pulls his sword free from it's scabbard and his pistol from the holster at his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** I had hoped to write this and have it uploaded before the Americans got the latest episode. But my Deadpool comic arrived and so instead I made my comic book shoes. Also just wanted to say thank you to all my reviewers so far. They mean a lot to me and make me happy. This chapter got a little away from me. Emma and Killian were bloody chatterboxes. So I've had to split it. Hopefully I'll get the next Part finished and up before Episode 13 airs.


	12. Part 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I cannot apologise enough for how long it has taken me to update this. Things haven't been great for me recently and I had a bout of writer's block. Thank you so much for your patience, and for sticking with me.
> 
> Managed to get this chapter wrote in between some baking for this weekend. If any of my readers are also attending Storybrooke be sure to come say hi (I'll be in my wheelchair and have bright red hair)! [I'M MEETING COLIN O'DONOGHUE AND LANA PARILLA IN TWO DAYS!] And now that that's out of my system...without further ado the penultimate chapter! Enjoy.
> 
> ~Anna-Margaret
> 
> xx

**Part 12**

"Don't you hurt Spot!" yells Athena, glaring at all of the group raising weapons towards the beast.

"Spot?" asks Mary Margaret disbelievingly, carefully glancing over to Thé whilst keeping her eyes on the three-headed dog that looked like he wanted to have them all for breakfast.

"Well Hades tries to be all sophisticated by calling him Cerberus, but if you know your Ancient Greek you know that it basically means 'Spot' in your tongue."

"So Hades' three-headed dog that guards the Underworld is called Spot. What a difference that knowledge will make!" deadpans Regina as they grow closer to the animal.

"Makes a lot of difference. He's a god's version of a house pet," retorts Thé.

At this point one of 'Spot's' heads reach out and he bites down on the hull of the ship, bringing them to a sudden halt. The wood cracks and crunches beneath his incredibly large white canines. The crew closest rapidly begin to back away from the threat. Everyone else raises their weapons back up into a defensive position.

"Did we go to ground?" queries Killian, as Emma and the pirate finally pop their heads above deck. "Oh. Nice doggy," the one-handed pirate says in a genial voice at the same time as stumbling back from the giant head bent down beside the other, one amber eye staring at him unblinkingly, that he suddenly takes note of.

"Oooh you poor baby," croons Thé when she sees the scar over where the second head's other eye used to be.

"You have strange friends," comments Emma.

"Thé is most definitely the strangest," retorts Killian as he grabs Emma's hand and helps her evade the third head making appearance with snapping at the crew members.

"Let's get down below," suggests Rumple to Belle just as a humongous paw crashes down into the water spraying them all.

The crew sputter against the deluge whilst some braver souls lean overboard to see the results of the loud rendering of wood. Long deep lacerations are now etched on the starboard side of the ship. The rocking of the previously calm river also makes the ship jerk, causing Belle to lose her balance and trip over someone's legs. The brunette looks around her as Rumple carefully pulls her to her feet.

"Thé? What are you doing?" she calls out to the ex-goddess on her knees in the middle of the deck.

A roar bellows out of one of the dog's heads, drawing everyone's attention to the group of heroes valiantly firing arrows and swinging their swords at the beast's heads. A fireball thrown by Regina begins to singe Cerberus' fur at the neck of his middle head when a blast of golden magic douses the orange flame.

"To reiterate the librarian's question, what the hell do you think you are doing?" shouts Regina when she whirls around to find Thé with an outstretched hand to the beast before them.

"Lass, whatever you have planned now would be a good time to enact it," grits Killian as he backs away from nearly being bitten in two by one of the pesky heads.

"How is a mandala going to help us?" asks Gold in confusion as he looks over Thé's shoulder to the circle she's painting on the wooden deck one-handedly with what looks like her own blood.

"What's a mandala?" frowns Emma as everyone backs away from the beast's three sets of snapping jaws and gather around Thé.

"Hardly think now's the time for a lesson, love."

"Well if you weren't all brutes attacking him, the circle would already be complete," Thé briefly looks up to glare at them all. "To answer your question Emma, a mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol used in Indian religions. They represent the cosmos either metaphysically or symbolically. As a result they have an affect on things extremely old."

"Such as three-headed beasts by chance? Because we could use a little help right now," comments David as they all duck a particularly vicious swing of one of the dog's paws.

"Almost done."

"So this will help us?" remarks Snow dubiously as she glances down at the circle border that has a thicker circle surrounding it, another circle is within that with strange shapes that almost look like mayflies on an inkblot with a diamond-shape in the centre and four thicker lines branching off from the sides of the diamond to the thick line of the inner circle.

"And done!" smiles Thé as she does a final stroke of her finger upon the wood.

"What was that?" asks Davy as his keen sailor ears pick up an ethereal hum vibrating through the water beneath them.

A silvery light envelops the entire ship, reaching up from the water in the river below it and cradling it like a pair of wings. The light shines brighter than the ethereal light of the underworld, but not quite as bright as starlight. The shine lights up the amber of Cerberus' eyes and all those aboard The Dutchman was on in awe as the dog calmly backs up a few paces and just stares at them all with a cock of each of the three heads.

"The forgiveness mandala. Not one I'd have chosen myself," comments Gold as he leans heavily on his cane, keen eyes darting over the artistry of the bloody symbol protecting them.

"It's governed by the element of water of which there is plenty here, and it carries the spirit of the dog. I'm forgiving Spot for trying to hurt us, and asking him to forgive us in return. Maybe someone should get on with steering this ship now that we're moving again before we crash," deadpans Thé. "Just don't scuff the blood and you'll be good," she adds before standing, flitting over to the side of the ship and plunging herself overboard.

"Athena!" roars Davy, his voice tinged with panic, fear and worry, as he races to where she disappeared. "Blasted shrew," he grimaces when he finds her happily swimming over to the gigantic beast to scratch at his legs.

"Who's a good doggy," Thé baby-talks to the monstrous animal that begins to wag his tail and pant happily.

"She is definitely the strangest person I've ever met," comments Killian with a grin as the group watch on as she nonchalantly wrestles with the dog and scours for a stick to play fetch with him.

"Whilst the damn thing is distracted, Mr Branigan set us back on course, and get us the bloody hell out of here."

"Aye aye Cap'n!"

"Shouldn't we wait for Athena?" asks Robin, concerned for the ex-goddess being left behind.

"I'm sure she'll be fine Robin," reassures Regina. "I mean you just saw what happened. That three-headed beast turned into a playful puppy in her presence."

"But won't she be stuck here?"

"She'll catch up," replies Davy gruffly just as Thé appears beside him and filches a drink.

"Did you miss me?" flirts the ex-goddess as steam rises around her, and her wet loose dress quickly dries but not before the elder Jones' eyes had roved over her barely concealed body.

"Every day," he replies, his voice thick with emotion.

The reply halts the purple and green haired woman in her tracks. Her veneer she has tried to keep up around the Captain the entire trip begins to crack much deeper. Her hazel eyes soften as she gazes into Davy's piercing blue ones. The moment is broken by Killian indelicately coughing, resulting in his father shooting him a scathing glare for which he receives a similar one in return. By the time they break their silent battle, Thé is once again composed and drifts away from Davy. As she passes Killian she gives silent thanks to him in the form of a gentle squeeze to his arm.

* * *

"May I be of assistance?" offers Hercules as he approaches Megara.

"Sure," she smiles happy to get out of one of the duties she dislikes - tying off and securing the guns on the port side. "My you are strong!" she compliments him, surprised by how easily Hercules maneuvers the heavy cannons into position and deftly ties it fast. "Wait, you're _that_ Hercules. So now that you're out of the Underworld what's a god like you got planned? Jet back to Olympus?"

"Hardly," Hercules smiles genially after finishing with the last gun. "I've never been to Olympus, and I'm only a _demi_ -god. To tell you the truth I don't really have much of a plan. I thought I might stick around though, now that I've found something to stay for. That is if you don't mind?" he adds nervously.

Megara's eyes widen in surprise as she's never met a man with such brute strength that wasn't overbearing and brutish in personality too. "Not at all. Though perhaps we could get to know each other a little better off this ship?"

"The Captain would be amenable to dropping us ashore some place?" asks Hercules, a bright smile beginning to flood his face.

They seem to be getting along well," comments Killian as he joins Thé who's leaning against the mast of the ship surreptitiously watching the budding couple.

Killian jerks when he notices Thé's eyes sparkling like stars but remains silent. Instead the dashing pirate turns his own gaze to the occupants of the ship scurrying across the deck or, in the case of the Charmings, enjoying a private interlude upon the calm sea. Killian lets loose a sigh of contentment as he presses his back against the sturdy wood of the main mast and views the vast stretch of green-blue ocean surrounding them. The sky is a perfect pale blue with some decent cloud cover, protecting the sailors from a case of sunburn. The wind is also just perfect; not too strong to rock them or leave them with a bad case of windburn, but not too calm that they're stranded in the middle of the large vat of water.

"Don't reckon I've traversed this way before," he murmurs, breaking the moment of serenity that had encased the two old friends.

"'The Gulf of Hope," quotes Thé, glancing up at the dashing Captain, her eyes normal once more, "where the dead may live once more'. Hades gave it its name. Any of the souls that are released from his domain can be reborn by journeying this way. It's also the easiest and calmest path to travel when leaving the Underworld with...cargo. Provided you can get past Spot of course," she grins.

"You've voyaged this way before?"

"Once. After we Olympians watched the events in Neverland unfold," she tells him quietly, her hazel eyes turning downcast. "My uncle gave me the ale of Sinead then, and in order to bring it through into the World of the Living - due to its magical nature - I had to come via this route. Just as we must for you and Hercules. Payment to Hades only releases you from his domain. It's this place that truly grants you the breath of life once more," Thé turns round to face Killian and wags her finger at him in warning. "But don't go spouting that to anyone and everyone that'll buy you a gill measure of rum! Though it would piss off my relatives in Olympus, and I'm not one for making their lives easier, some of them have a very loose rein on their tempers and it'll be the mortals that pay for it."

"Mum's the word," he agrees with a grin, before becoming sober. "I never got the chance to truly thank you for that ale."

"Did you get the closure you were looking for?"

* * *

_Hook stands staring morosely out at the swaying waves, not feeling the rocking of the wood beneath his feet as his mind remains focused on the_ task _ahead. Too many years have passed since The Jolly was docked in this port. Last time was a homecoming that turned tragic so suddenly. And she'd been_ The Jewel of the Realm _back then..._

_"You sure you won't join us for a sup, Cap'n?" offers Smee, twiddling his red cotton cap between his hands as his furtive gaze darts between his sombre Captain and the flask he holds carefully cradled in his remaining hand._

_"Aye. Now leave me be!" thunders the dark-haired man, his blue eyes flashing dangerously as he pulls his attention from the sea to his First Mate._

_Hook watches as Smee hurriedly scampers off to join the rest of the crew gathered ashore. Well the_ remaining _crew. The Jolly's crew had been badly depleted after almost three centuries spent in Neverland and with that damned demon Pan. When alone once more he turns his sight to the flask that was a most generous gift from a friend who knew what it meant to him; a thing Hook didn't think he still had considering how much time had passed here in this realm._

_"No use being a coward now Jones," he chides himself quietly._

_The sound of his voice mixing with the sound of the ocean in the still night gives him strength. Using his hook to clasp the handle and hold the body of the brown flask against his chest before carefully unscrewing the stopper. With a steady hand he trickles the contents overboard. After a few seconds he re-corks the bottle and carefully sets it aside, never tearing his gaze from the water at the starboard side of The Jolly._

_A frown begins to furrow across his brow as nothing happens. Surely Thé wouldn't give him such hope only to give him a forgery. Hook's mind flashes to how she looked when she first saw him._ No, _he thinks,_ she's known pain in her life and she wouldn't want to inflict more. Especially not on me...and not with using Liam. _At that thought he remembers meeting the swarthy-skinned goddess after rescuing her from her prison. It'd given him the willies that the great warrior goddess Athena had known who he was. In the end he'd pulled his sword on her when she mentioned Neverland and Liam. But she'd been genuinely sorry for his death, and for the pain his loss had caused Killian._ No, it has to be the Ale of Sinead, _Hook thinks decisively._

_"Hello, little brother," greets a voice he has not heard in far too long, dragging the pirate from his thoughts to find Liam hovering by the edge of the railing. "You look like you've seen a ghost," the elder Jones jokes before backtracking at the dark look upon his younger brother's face. "Too soon?"_

_"Liam?" Hook manages to croak out, automatically backing away from the ethereal form that has appeared before him._

_"Aye, Killian. It's me," the curly-haired man smiles before floating forward to hover on the deck before his brother. "My ship looks to be in good nick. Glad to see you've kept up those standards, even if you lapsed on others."_

_"You died," retorts Hook menacingly._

_"I wish I hadn't so that I might have been here to help you be the man I know you can be. Not this, Killian. Such a life I never wanted for you."_

_"What, a pirate?" spits the dark-haired brother._

_"Hardly. The piracy I could deal with and easily accept. But this path of vengeance won't bring you happiness. It'll just bring more death."_

_"So be it," Hook bites out._

_Liam's eyes shut in pain. "I can see nothing I say will change your mind. Before I go though know this, you will find love again. There will be pain, and sadness, and rough times ahead...but with love you'll persevere. You are a survivor, little brother. Please remember all I taught you."_

_Hook's eyes shine in the moonlight with unshed tears as the image of his brother shimmers and disappears back into the ether._

* * *

"After that I found an old woman peddler in DunBroch who paid handsomely for the remaining Ale of Sinead. On my journey I thought on what my brother's ghost had said, but then I caught whiff of a rumour: a prisoner of the Evil Queen's that had been the Dark One's captive once."

"And so you went after the information, rather than following your brother's advice," states Thé.

"Aye, and when I learned she'd be of no use to me I intended to kill her. _Regina_ stopped me before I killed Belle."

"You were going to kill that lovely young woman simply because she was of no use to you?!" cries Thé in outrage.

Her gaze falls to where Belle stands, happily leaning over the railing of the ship to watch the nymphs and sprites splash through the wake. Her laughter at their antics fills the air and brightens the dark look that creeps back into Rumplestiltskin's dark brown eyes every so often. He stands by her side, a reassuring arm outstretched to keep her from toppling over the railing. The glow of love between them is warm and bright like a log fire. Tendrils of darkness intersperse the flame, unlike with the Charmings standing cuddled beside them - whose own glow of love reminds Thé of a winter she spent in the fjords of Norway with a cosy log cabin and a roaring fire to banish the cold.

"The years in Neverland were not good ones for me. The Darkness...well it worsened more than the last time we saw each other," explains Killian, pulling Thé's attention from the haze of love seeping into the port side of the ship.

"Not even a swirl of it now," she remarks, staring at his chest with her starry eyes. "Be sure to keep it that way or I'll hunt you down and beat you so bad you'll regret it," she warns.

"Yes, mother," he jokes, a burst of laughter breaking free at the dark glare she shoots him. His chuckling dies down as in his peripheral he notices a flash of blonde waves and so turns to find Emma standing by the starboard side with Regina. "I don't think you have anything to worry about," murmurs Killian, his gaze never leaving his love. "Milady," he bows before departing from the ex-goddess to be by his love's side, barely giving Thé a last look.

"Worth it," whispers Athena as she watches the brilliant white line glowing brightly between Emma Swan and Killian Jones that is on par with that of Snow White and Prince Charming's own love line.

Meanwhile at the edge of Tartarus, Seph appears having been searching for her husband. She finds Hades sitting on the rough hewn stone floor, staring sadly at a piece of parchment on his lap. He knows she's there but makes no move to speak or acknowledge her. Frowning, she moves to read the item causing this sudden melancholic mood that has settled on the lord of the Underworld. Her eyes flicker over the contract and gasps in shock at the information upon it.

Hades glances up at his beautiful blonde wife over his shoulder. He would never have turned down what the contract gives him, but that doesn't mean he isn't pained by the repercussions such an action will bring his beloved niece.

"Zeus is sure to rain his thunderbolts down upon her for this," frets Persephone sadly.

**Author's Note:**

>  **A/N:** Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Due to my illness I do sometimes have issues being able to write on a regular basis. I don't know when I'll get this updated but I just ask for your patience. Many thanks!
> 
> ~Anna-Margaret
> 
> xx


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